From Victor Osula, Abuja
The prolonged battle between Bashir Machina and President of the Nigeria Senate, Ahmad Lawan over who represents the Yobe North Senatorial constituency in the post February 25, 2023 general election came to an anti-climax On Monday with the Supreme Court confirming Lawan as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial Candidate.
By the confirmation, the Supreme Court, on Monday, ruled out Bashir Machina as the party’s flagbearer in Yobe North.
In a majority judgment on Monday, the Nigeria’s apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Senator Lawan’s opponent in the party.
With this recent development, Machina will not be able to contest the election slated for Saturday, 25 February, 2023, alongside the Presidential poll.
Observers will be awaiting the ousted candidate’s reaction to the recent development, having gone through court processes to arrive at the recent ‘destination’.
In a majority judgment delivered by Justice Centus Nweze on Monday, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Bashir Machina’s candidature.
Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen, who presided over a three-member panel of the appellate court, gave the affirmation in an appeal by the APC challenging the decision of Justice Fadimatu Aminu of the Federal High Court Damaturu.
Justice Aminu of the Federal High Court had on September 28, 2022, declared Machina as winner of the primary election organised by the party on May 28, 2022.
having lost the APC presidential primary to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the party fell back for Lawan to replace Machina, obviously in an attempt to placate the President of the Senate.
But Machina, the winner of the poll conducted by the party insisted that he would not withdraw for the Lawan.
In the face of the controversy, the APC submitted the Lawan’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as its senatorial candidate for Yobe North, the product of a parallel primary held after Lawan had failed at the presidential convention of the party in Abuja.
Not satisfied with the decision of his party, Machina headed to court to seek redress.
In his suit, Machina asked the court to declare him as the validly elected senatorial candidate of the APC for Yobe north Senatorial District.
Justice Aminu had nullified the parallel primary election that produced Lawan on June 9, 2022, insisting that the National Working Committee of the APC conducted a valid primary election on May 28, which was won by Bashir Machina.
As a result, the trial judge ordered the APC to forward the name of Machina to INEC as the authentic winner of the primary election for Yobe North.
