Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The Abuja division of the Federal High Court has been asked to restrain Adamu Bulkachuwa from parading himself as the true and validly nominated candidate representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the contest for the Bauchi North senatorial district in the 2019 general elections.

An aggrieved member of the APC, Usman Tuggar, in a pre-election suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/1240/18 pending before the court is challenging the nomination of Bulkachuwa, as the candidate of the party for the Bauchi North senatorial district.

But while the suit was still pending after suffering a series of adjournments, the election for the senatorial district took place and Tunggar, who is the husband to the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab, was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

‎The suit in question was brought pursuant to Sections 36, of the 1999 constitution; sections 87(1), (2), (3), (9) and (10) and 153 of the Electoral Act 2010; Article 20)(II & III) of the APC Constitution and Paragraphs 1, 16, 17, 19, 20 and 22 of INEC’s Regulation for the conduct of party primaries.

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) who filed the suit on behalf of the plaintiff is further pressing for an order restraining the INEC from recognising Adamu Bulkachuwa ‎ as the true and validly nominated candidate representing the APC in the contest for the Bauchi North senatorial district in the 2019 general elections.

The plaintiff is seeking an order of court to the effect that having been duly nominated by the APC by virtue of the election held on October 3, 2018, and having been confirmed as validly nominated by the APC his name be entered by the INEC as the true and validly nominated candidate representing the party in the contest for the Bauchi North Senatorial district in the 2019 general elections.

Meanwhile, in his counter-affidavit in opposition to the plaintiff’s suit, Bulkachuwa told the court that he fully participated in the primary elections of the party which held on October 3, 2018, under the chairmanship of Prof. Ahmed, Bakori Mohammed and at the “end of the election, I was returned elected and nominated as candidate of the APC for the Bauchi North senatorial district having polled a total of 56, 784 votes in the said election.

“That having emerged winner in the said election, the APC officially listed my name as its nominated candidate for Bauchi North senatorial district for the 2019 general elections.

“That further to my emergence as the party’s candidate in the said primary election, the party forwarded my name to the INEC as its candidate for Bauchi North senatorial election.”