The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has filed three separate suits against Bauchi governor Bala Mohammed, former Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar and others over alleged double nomination for elective positions for 2023 elections.
The PRP through its lawyer, Mr Chris Udeoyibo is asking the Federal High Court Abuja to disqualify Mohammed, Abubakar and Sen. Haliru Jika from participating in the 2023 governorship election on grounds of alleged double nomination by their respective political parties.
In the suits numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1302/2022; FHC/ABJ/CS/1303/2022 and FHC/ABJ/CS/1304/2022, PRP claims that the defendants violated the Electoral Act by engaging in double nomination.
In suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1302, the PRP named Mohammed, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as defendants, where it urged the court to void Bala Mohammed’s candidacy as the governorship candidate of the PDP.
The party contends that having participated as an aspirant in the May 28 presidential primary of the PDP and later as aspirant in the party’s governorship primary in Bauchi state on June 4, Mohammed violated of Section 177(c) of the Constitution as well as Sections 84(13) and 115(d) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Specifically, the PRP wants the court to among other things, restrain INEC from recognising Mohammed as a candidate of the PDP in the governorship elections as well as bar him from further parading himself as the candidate of the PDP for the election.
The Bauchi state PRP governorship candidate, Mr Ahmed Farouk in an affidavit asked the court to stop INEC from allowing the defendant to participate in the election.
“Having participated in both primaries, during which he signed two nomination papers or result forms in respect of two different constituencies at the same time in breach of Section 177(c) of the Constitution as well as Sections 84(13) and 115(d) of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC should be restrained from allowing Mohammed and his party participate in the next governorship election in the state.
“No law allows a candidate, including Mohammed to sign two nomination papers or results forms for both presidential and governorship primaries, which are two constituencies, at the same time and in the same election period in the 2023 general elections.
“Where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of relevant laws in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate for election shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue,” the plaintiff deposed.
In the second suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1303, the PRP urged the court to disqualify Abubakar and Musa as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election.
According to the PRP, Musa violated the constitution and Electoral Act by participating in the House of Representatives primary election held by the APC on May 28 which he won and subsequently, in the governorship primary held on June 4 where he became nominated as the deputy governorship candidate.
In the third suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1304, the PRP urged the court to among others, void the nomination of Jika, who currently represents Bauchi Central Senatorial District on the grounds that he was not a member of the NNPP when he was nominated as the party’s governorship candidate.
According to the PDP, Jika participated in the May 26 governorship primary of the APC in Bauchi state which was won by Abubakar, but later defected to the NNPP to pick the governorship ticket.
The PRP in an affidavit said since Jika was a registered member of the APC in Kafin Madaki ward, Ganjuwa local government area of Bauchi state when the APC held its primary, his name could not have been in the register of NNPP.
As at the time of filing this report, the suits have not been assigned to any judge.
