The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Taraba State, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, has approached a Federal High Court in Jalingo to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include his name on the ballot for the March 11, gubernatorial election.
When the case came up on Monday, counsels to the plaintiff were in court while INEC officials or their representatives were absent.
Barrister Joseph Oguche announced his presence as an interested party in the matter, representing Chief David Kente, a former governorship aspirant in the controversial APC primary held on May 26, 2022.
Recall that the Supreme Court nullified the primary which produced Bwacha as APC candidate and ordered a fresh exercise. The party conducted a fresh primary and Bwacha, again, emerged winner.
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Briefing journalists outside the court premises, Oguche said they were in court as interested parties because the Supreme Court judgement on February 1, was very explicit in granting reliefs one to eight of the requests sought by his client, Chief Kente, insisting that the APC had no gubernatorial candidate in Taraba State.
Barrister Oguche noted that the Supreme Court was the final arbiter and that any attempt to circumvent the decision of the apex court on the matter would be tantamount to labouring in vain in a graveyard.
Meanwhile, counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Boniface Yokunbo, said he was in court to hold brief for his senior counsel and so was not authorised to grant press interviews.
Justice Bala Usman adjourned the case to today, March 7.
