SIR: Long before the federal High Court, Yola Division presided by the honourable Justice Abdulaziz Anka nullified the APC governorship primary election that produced Senator Aisha Binani as standard bearer, many people except of course the beneficiary of that wholesale illegality, knew that the courts won’t need too long to discover the widespread irregularities perpetrated in the conduct of the (s)election.
It will appear that in her desperation to land the APC ticket, Mrs. Binani threw caution to the wind. While other contestants were cowered by hunger or Abuja party muscles to settle for dollars or wild promises, Nuhu Ribadu will not have an illegality stand under his watch. The outcome of justice Anka’s judgement was sealed the day Ribadu approached the courts to seek clarification on the position of the law with regards to the blatant disregard of both the Electoral Act and the APC constitution in the conduct of the APC primaries that produced Binani.
Delivering judgement, Justice Anka averred that “My findings are that there’s non-compliance to the Electoral Act, as well as party guidelines and the constitution because there was manifest over-voting, which has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt”.
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The judge added that “The first defendant (APC) cannot field a candidate for the 2023 general elections; the primary election is invalid, and the court, therefore, sees the return of Aishatu Ahmed Binani as unlawful. The plea for fresh elections is hereby refused”.
The latter part of the judgement is perhaps what Nuhu Ribadu may not have anticipated. In truth, the man deserves to be given another crack at reclaiming what could easily have been his mandate had the ticket not been pawned to the highest bidder by his party. But, I’m sure the honourable Justice knows that allowing APC another chance to deodorize an illegality with another sham primary election, especially when the players knowingly decided to indulge in illegality, will not be enough deterrent.
APC and Binani have leave to appeal the judgement of course, but the judgement is unambiguous, crystal clear and to the point. The honourable thing left for APC to do now is to come out boldly and apologize to its party members while focusing their strength in other elections.
Binani should be grateful to the courts really. Now at least, she can disappear into the shadows with her valid political winning streak intact. This may prove useful in the future should she find enough oxygen to resurrect this stillbirth governorship ambition. Until then, it will do APC good to eschew this repeated gaffes that cost them Bayelsa and Zamfara in 2019.
•Musa Sunday,
Abuja.