The Federal High Court sitting in Yola has cancelled the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, saying the party does not have a governorship Candidate for the 2023 general election. The court ruled on Friday that the APC flouted its own rules and provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the Adamawa State governorship primary on May 27 through 28 and the result of the election could therefore not stand.

Our correspondent recalls that Senator Aishatu Ahmed (Binani) had made history by beating six other aspirants, all men, to become winner of the said primary and was accordingly declared the ticket bearer. His closest rival in the primary, Nuhu Ribadu, had however faulted the primary and headed to court to ask that it be nullified.

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Ribadu had alleged that delegates from Lamorde, one of the 21 local government areas of the state, did not emerge from a special congress but were illegally allowed to participate in the primary election. Ribadu had also alleged over voting and vote buying, asking for a fresh election that could pass all the tests of credence.

Delivering his judgement on Friday, Justice Abdulaziz Anka of the Federal High Court 1, Yola, said the primary was conducted in substantial noncompliance with party guidelines and other relevant laws. Although he dismissed the issue of vote buying, he specified the issues of over voting and fielding of delegates from Lamurde local government area where a congress was affirmed not to have been conducted. He outrightly cancelled the primary without ordering a fresh one. Counsel to Binani, Tomi Ologunorisa, who spoke to newsmen immediately after the judgement, said it would be appealed without delay.