Supreme Court Nullifies Bwacha’s Election As Taraba APC Gov Candidate
Nigeria’s Supreme Court has nullified the nomination of Emmanuel Bwacha as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State.
Bwacha represents Taraba South Senatorial District at the National Assembly.
In its judgement delivered on Wednesday, a five-member panel of the court led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun upheld the finding of the Federal High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, that the APC did not conduct any valid governorship primary poll in the state.
The court gave the judgement in the case which began with a suit lodged by David Kente, one of the governorship aspirants with whom Bwacha had jostled for the APC’s governorship ticket.
Upholding Kente’s suit, a judge, Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court, Jalingo, had on 20 September 2022 nullified Bwacha’s candidature.
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 afterwards left the country.
Consequently, Amobeda ordered that a fresh primary election should be conducted within 14 days.
But, on 24 November 2022, the Court of Appeal in Yola, Adamawa State, voided the Federal High Court’s decision, restoring Bwacha as the APC’s governorship candidate in Taraba State.
Dissatisfied, Kente 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 judgement of the trial court, holding that Kente’s appeal was meritorious.
The governorship election is billed for 11 March.