The Supreme Court has refused to review its judgement that nullified the participation of all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general election in Zamfara State.
Recall that the court in an earlier judgement nullified the victory of the APC in the Zamfara governorship, national and state assemblies elections for not conducting a valid primary.
The top court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue the certificate of return to the candidate of the political party with the next highest vote in the election.
In a ruling delivered on Friday, the apex court held that it could not sit in review of its own judgement.
A five-man panel led by Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Mohammed, in a majority decision of four to one held that the application by an APC faction in Zamfara led by ex-governor Abdulaziz Yari seeking a review of the earlier verdict was an abuse of court process.
The apex court held that by its Order 8 Rule 16, it lacks jurisdiction to tamper with its final judgement on any matter, except to correct clerical errors that arose from an accidental slip, or to vary a judgement or order, so as to give the intended meaning.
Justice Inyang Okoro, who lead the lead judgment of the Supreme Court, therefore awarded N2 million costs against the applicants.
He told the applicants that there must be an end to litigation.
But in his dissenting judgement, Justice Chima Nweze ruled that the top court could overrule itself.
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