Court dismisses PDP forgery allegation against Gombe State Governor – Voice of Nigeria

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The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out a case brought before it by the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and its gubernatorial candidate, Muhammed Jibrin Barde, against Governor Muhammadu Yahaya.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and two others were included.

The court, in a decision by Judge Binta Nyako, dismissed the allegation that the governor had submitted false documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to help in his qualification.

The lawsuit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1301/2022, was brought in court by PDP, Mohammed Barde and Timothy Danlele.

INEC, All Progressives Congress, APC, and Governor Yahaya, respectively, were named 1st through 3rd defendants in the case.

Specifically, the plaintiffs, through their attorney, Mr Johnson Usman, alleged that “the Governor lied under oath in documents he presented to the INEC”.

However, the APC and Governor Yahaya, through their attorney, Mr. Marshall Abubakar, disputed the allegation and the jurisdiction of the prosecution, while urging the court to dismiss it for lack of jurisdiction.

The defendants argued that “the PDP and its members lacked the locus standi to bring an action challenging the nomination of a candidate by another political party”.

According to the defendants, “only members of a party and its aspirants can challenge the result of a primary election or the nomination of a candidate”.

They argued that the plaintiffs had failed to establish a reasonable cause of action, pointing out that the lawsuit had become statute-barred since it was filed after INEC released Governor Yahaya’s name as a presidential candidate. election.

In her decision, Judge Nyako upheld the defendants’ preliminary objection and struck out the suit for lack of jurisdiction.

Mercy Chukwudiebere

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