Despite, Senate President Ahmed Lawan avowed statement that he would not contest the decision of Federal High Court Damaturu, which affirmed Bashir Machina as the duly elected candidate of All Progressives Congress APC for Yobe North Senatorial District , he had appealed the decision.
Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on Friday heard Lawan appeal and reserved judgment in respect of the All Progressives Congress’ Yobe North Senatorial District contest.
President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen, who presided over a 3-man panel, reserved judgment after taking arguments from counsel in the matter.
By the appeal, Senate President Ahmed Lawan is challenging the decision of Justice Fadimatu Aminu of the Federal High Court Damaturu, which had on September 28, 2022, affirmed Bashir Machina as the authentic All Progressives Congress senatorial candidate of Yobe North.
Machina won the primary election conducted by the APC in May 2022. Lawan did not participate in that May 28, 2022 Yobe North Senatorial District primary election as he opted to contest the presidential primary election of APC in June.
Unfortunately, Lawan lost the APC presidential ticket to former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu. But, came back weeks after seeking to upstage Machina.
The leadership of APC asked Machina to step down for Lawan .He refused and insisted that he would not withdraw for the Senate President.
In the face of the controversy, the APC submitted the Senate President’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as its senatorial candidate for Yobe North.
Miffed by the development, Machina headed to court to seek redress.
Specifically, Machina in his suit, asked the court to declare him as the validly elected senatorial candidate of the APC for the 2023 election.
Trial court judge, Justice Aminu upheld his prayers and nullified the parallel primary election that produced Lawan held on June 9, 2022.
Consequently, the trial judge ordered the APC to forward the name of Machina to INEC as the authentic winner of the primary held in May.