By Ismail Auwal
The Supreme Court set February 6th for a decision in the long-running legal battle over the authenticity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.
The incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Bashir Machina are embroiled in a legal battle for the Senatorial ticket.
The date was set after the Supreme Court heard arguments from counsel for the APC and Machina.
A five-man panel of justices of the apex court led by Justice Chima Nweze on Wednesday adjourned the appeal for judgment after taking arguments from both parties.
APC had attempted to replace Machina with Lawan as its candidate for Yobe North after the senate president lost the presidential ticket to a former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu.
The party submitted Lawan’s name to INEC, an action which made Machina to seek redress in court.
The high court held that the May 28, 2022, primary produced Machina and ordered the APC to forward his name to the INEC as its candidate.
The court held that the primary that was conducted by the APC on June 9, was invalid as it was not monitored by INEC, which was a gross violation of the Electoral Act.
Machina had at the high court contended that the attempt to replace him violated Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act, 2022; Article 21.3 of the APC constitution and Paragraphs 20 (c), 27 (c), (d) and (f) of the APC Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates for the 2023 General Elections; the suit was not premature; and Section 223 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
