Eight governorship aspirants of
the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara state have accused Abdulaziz
Yari, the governor, of making moves to enforce a state court judgement on the
party.
Speaking at a press conference on
Sunday in Kaduna, Kabir Marafa, who spoke on behalf of other aspirants, said a
novice application was filed on Friday by the governor seeking the interim
enforcement of the judgement of the state high court on the crisis rocking the
ruling party in the state.
The aspirants, under the auspices
of G-8, include Marafa, a senator; Dauda Lawal, former executive director of
First Bank;Ibrahim Wakala, the deputy governor; Mahmud Shinkafi, former
governor; Mansur Dan-Ali, minister of defence; Aminu Sani Jaji, Abu Magaji, and
Mohammed Sagir Hamidu.
The Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) had barred the ruling APC from fielding candidates
for elective positions in the state over the party’s inability to conduct
primaries as a result of intra-party crisis.
However, the national working
committee had picked Lawal as the consensus candidate and the case is now at
the court of appeal
On Friday, the governor said
elections will not take place in the state if candidates of the ruling party
are excluded, asking INEC to comply with the judgement of the state high court
which confirmed that the party conducted primaries in the state.
“To this effect, the group of
eight is calling for the urgent intervention of the National Judicial Council
(NJC) on the matter,” Marafa said.
“It will be recalled that nine
aspirants purchased the APC governorship forms for the 2019 general elections.
Eight out of the aspirants formed the G-8 , following the crisis that trailed
the APC’s primaries in the state.
“Arising from the Zamfara state
high court mentioned earlier, two sets of defendants in the case before the
Zamfara state high court – Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa and Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji
separately filed notices of appeal against the judgment of Zamfara state high
court.
“What is most baffling with the
application is that no lawyer has ever seen a court of appeal enforcing the
judgment of any court below it.
“It remains to be seen what
course justice will take in the matter especially in view of the decision
reached by the Supreme Court on Friday 8th February 2019 affirming that INEC
was right to take a position not to allow APC field any candidates for
violation of the conduct of party primaries in the state.”
A court of appeal sitting in
Sokoto had adjourned the appeal on the matter till February 19 for hearing and
abridged the time for the parties to file briefs.
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