Taraba: Why we declined Al-Hassan’s prayers –Supreme Court

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The Supreme Court said yesterday that the Minister for Women Affairs and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the April 11, 2015 election in Taraba State, Hajiya Aisha Al-Hassan, has no locus standi (legal right) to challenge the election of Governor Darius Ishaku.
The apex court had in its ruling of February 11 ruling on the appeal filed by Al-Hassan,  upheld  Ishaku’s victory  while dismissing the appeal as lacking in merit.
Giving reasons for the judgment which was reserved till yesterday, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour also held that the governor was duly sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He held that evidence confirmed Ishiaku’s membership of the PDP.
“The matter is very simple, the apex court has ruled on matters of this nature severally.
“There is no way a candidate of another political party who did not participate in the primaries of another political party could suddenly rise to challenge the conduct of such an exercise.
“It is, therefore, clear that the appeals and all the cross appeals against the election of Ishiaku of Taraba have no redeemable substance,’’ Rhodes-Vivour said.
By these reasons, the apex court further affirmed the decision of the lower court to the effect that the Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal grossly misdirected itself by upturning Ishiaku’s victory.
Al Hassan  approached the apex court to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal which nullified the November 7, 2015 decision of the election tribunal declaring her as winner of the election.