S/Court Affirms Lawal  Usman As PDP Kaduna Central Senatorial Candidate

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By Kenneth Atavti 

The Supreme Court on Friday in Abuja affirmed Lawal Adamu Usman as the Senatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party PDP for Kaduna Central Senatorial District of Kaduna State.

The Apex Court upheld the December 19, 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which had earlier voided and set aside the decision of a Federal High Court in Kaduna in the fierce legal tussle for the ticket.

Delivering judgment in an appeal filed by an aggrieved Senatorial aspirant, Mr Ibrahim Usman, the Supreme Court held that courts have no jurisdiction to dabble into the internal and domestic affairs of political parties.

The unanimous judgment was prepared by Justice Heleen Morenikeji Ogunwumiju but was delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim .

Justice Agim while dismissing the appeal for want of merit said that the  decision of the PDP National Working Committee on the May 23, 2022  primary election was correct and cannot be faulted.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, had on December 19, 2022, reinstated Lawal Adamu Usman as the candidate of the PDP after his removal by a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna, which had nullified the primary election for Kaduna Central Senatorial District.

After nullifying the primary election, the trial court ordered a re-run, which Usman again won and his name subsequently published by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, as the PDP candidate.

But Lawal Adamu’s victory was challenged in Federal High Court  by Usman Ibrahim who came second in the primary election held on the 23rd of May 2022. 

The High Court judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, held that the claims of the plaintiff (Ibrahim) were substantial and consequently declared the primary election null and void.

But the Court of Appeal in its judgment delivered by Justice Peter Affen held that the High Court lacked the jurisdiction to inquire into the internal affairs of the PDP.

Consequently, the appeal was upheld and judgment of the high court court was set aside.