The Supreme Court has nullified the nomination of Emmanuel Bwacha as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Taraba State on 1st February 2023. The judgment in a five-man panel led by Kudirat Kekere Ekun stated that affirmed the verdict of the federal high court which held that the APC did not conduct any valid governorship primary in Taraba State that produced Bwacha as governorship candidate. A judge at the federal high court in Jalingo, Taraba state, Simon Amobeda had first sacked Bwacha as the APC’s governorship candidate in September 2022 in a suit filed by David Sabo Kente, a governorship aspirant.
The trial judge faulted the declaration of the purported results of the primary election from Danbaba Suntai Airport, Jalingo as recorded by the returning officer who afterward left the country.
Consequently, Mr. Amobeda ordered that a fresh primary election should be conducted within 14 days.
However, on 24 November 2022, the Court of Appeal in Yola, Adamawa State, voided the Federal High Court’s decision, restoring Mr. Bwacha as the APC’s governorship candidate in Taraba State.
Dissatisfied, Mr. Kente, a journalism teacher, through his lawyer, Kanu Agabi, appealed to the Supreme Court. In its verdict on Wednesday, the Supreme Court said the Court of Appeal erred when it set aside the judgment of the trial court, holding that Mr. Kente’s appeal was meritorious.
The governorship election is slated for 11 March 2023.
