The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has set aside the judgment of the Taraba State Gubernatorial Election Tribunal that sacked Governor Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Hajiya Aisha Jummai Al-hassan, had filed a suit at the tribunal challenging the victory of the PDP candidate, Ishaku in the 2015 general election, on the grounds that the primary that produced him as his party’s candidate was faulty.
The appellate court ruled that the grounds for which the election of Ishaku was voided was faulty, while stating that whether a party primary was conducted properly or not could not be the subject of an election petition.
The five-man panel led by Justice Abdul Aboki said that Al-hassan could not contest the decision of the PDP to field Ishaku, as she was not a member of the party, adding that his nomination complied with Section 85 of the Electoral Act.