Yobe North: Appeal court affirms Machina’s nomination

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the nomination of Bashir Sheriff Machina as the authentic candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe North Senatorial District. 

A three-member panel led by Justice Monica Dagban-Mensah on Monday upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court in Damaturu, which had earlier upheld Machina’s nomination. 

The appellate court observed that the APC argued its case and that of Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in its brief, but failed to make him a co-appellant, instead of being the 2nd respondent. 

Lawan, who lost the APC presidential primary to a former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, though he did not take part in the Yobe North senatorial primary, the party had sent his name to INEC as its candidate but the electoral body refused to acknowledge him. 

Machina, who won the primary, had resisted pressure on him to step down for Lawan and headed for the court to seek justice. 

The high court had upheld the May 28 primary that produced Machina, sacked Lawan and ordered the APC to forward Machina’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the authentic candidate. 

The court held that the primary election conducted by the APC on June 9 was invalid, as it was not monitored by INEC, which is a gross violation of the electoral act.