A Judge of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano, Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa
has said that he has no jurisdiction to nullify the election of candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect, Dr. Alex Otti because he did not treat his the matter.
The judge said that the election he nullified was the one for Kano State Labour Party(LP) candidates who contested the 2023 General Election.
One Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim had filed an application seeking the court to revoke and set aside the certificate of return issued to all LP candidates declared winner in Kano and the 35 states of the Federation, including the FCT Abuja.
Respondents in the suit are the Labour Party and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa said, in his ruling, that the candidates who participated in the 2023 general election in Abia were not parties before his court.
“This court lacks jurisdiction to make an order for the issuance of certificate of return.
“They are at liberty to seek redress in the appropriate Division of the court” he said
He said that INEC is bound to insist receiving the registered members of the first respondent and that of other political parties 30 days before primary election in compliance with section 77(3) of the electoral act 2022.
The section states that a party that has not complied with the section 77(2) (3) of the electoral act 2022 cannot be declared winner of the election.
The court declared the primary election of LP in Kano State as null and void.
Source: NAN.
