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Godwin Tsa and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reclaim its mandate in Zamfara State failed, yesterday, as the Supreme Court struck out its application for a review of its May 24, 2019 judgment which nullified the victory of all the party’s candidates elections held in Zamfara State.
But not deterred, counsel for the party Chief Robert Clarke (SAN), had vowed to re-file the application.
Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour who led a five-member panel struck out the application in a unanimous decision.
The apex court predicated its decision on grounds that the application was incompetent because all its judgments on the Zamfara legal tussle being challenged by the party were not attached to the application.
Justice Rhodes-Vivour who delivered the ruling said the applicant only attached the lead judgment and failed to exhibit the consenting judgments of the four other members of the panel which gave the May 24, 2019 verdict.
“By our rules, the application is incompetent, and it is hereby struck out,” he ruled.
The Supreme Court had in a unanimous judgment delivered by a five-man panel led by Justice Tanko Muhammad, on May 24, 2019, declared that APC never conducted primary elections, thus had no valid candidates for the general election.
The court had declared that all the votes credited to the party and its candidates in the elections were wasted.
The apex court consequently declared the first runners-up in the 2019 general elections in the state as winners of all the offices earlier declared to have been won by the APC and its candidates.
The PDP was consequently awarded the governorship and other 36 elective offices available in the state.
The PDP has hailed the Supreme Court for refusing to reverse its judgment.
The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the apex court, by its action has once again saved the country from a huge constitutional crisis.
The opposition party, while commending the Supreme Court described the demand by the APC “as blasphemous, a blackmail as well as a measured landmine set” by leaders of the ruling party to destroy the integrity of the apex court.
The PDP added : “The motive of the APC leaders is to ultimately sequester the institution of the judiciary and foist a totalitarian order on our polity.
“It is also instructive to note that by asking the Supreme Court to embark on a journey to nowhere, the APC clearly sought to subvert our democratic system and surreptitiously force on Nigerians, a system that is completely alien to our constitutional democracy and outside the confines and dictates of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“APC’s demand is a direct threat to our democracy, peace and stability of our nation and shows its unwillingness, as a party, to abide by the rule of law.
“It also exposes APC’s penchant for sowing crisis in our nation; a situation that should be condemned by all.”
