Download: Judgment on Ahmed Lawan’s Candidacy as APC Candidate for Yobe North Senatorial Election
The Supreme Court recently delivered its judgment on the dispute involving senate president, Ahmed Lawan and Alhaji Bashir Sheriff Machina on the candidacy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Yobe North senatorial district at the 2023 general elections.
The judgment, which has been received with mixed emotions within and outside the legal profession, set aside the verdicts of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, which declared Machina the duly nominated candidate of the APC for the Yobe North senatorial district. The two lower courts had also ruled that Machina was duly nominated at the APC primary election for Yobe North senatorial district held on May 28, 2022, which Lawan failed to participate in as he was otherwise preparing to participate in the APC presidential primary election.
Following his failure to secure the presidential nomination of the APC, Lawan expressed interest in the Yobe North senatorial ticket and participated in another primary election organised by the APC and was declared candidate of the party. Machina did not participate in the second primary election.
Aggrieved by the decision of the APC to submit Ahmed Lawan’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Machina approached the Federal High Court to reinstate him as the APC candidate for Yobe North. The Federal High Court declared Machina the lawfully nominated candidate of the APC and the senate president publicly accepted the verdict of the court. APC however appealed the verdict at the Court of Appeal, which held in favour of Machina. The party subsequently proceeded to the Supreme Court.
Click to download the lead judgment of the Supreme Court, which set aside the verdicts of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal thus paving the way for Lawan to emerge as the APC candidate for Yobe North senatorial district.
