Sha’aban asks court to disqualify Gawuna as Kano APC Governorship candidate

By Muhammad Muhammad

Chairman, house of representatives committee on National Security and Intelligence, Hon. Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada has sought disqualification of Kano deputy Governor Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna as 2023 Governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The federal lawmaker representing Kano municipal federal constituency, also joined in the legal action, the state chapter of APC and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Although, the deputy Governor Gawuna was anointed along former Commissioner for local government affairs Murtala Sule Garo by APC stakeholders as Governorship and running mate, the federal lawmaker found it necessary to contest the primary, defying all odds.

Solacebase reports that Sha’aban is seeking the nullification of the APC Governorship primary that produced Gawuna as winner and party candidate on the ground that the process was in contradiction to provision of electoral act 2022.

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In an exparte application filed before the Federal high court, Kano on Thursday, the plaintiff through his Counsel  J.O. Asoluka, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) insisted that Gawuna’s emergence was in violation to section 84 (1),(3),(8),(12) and (13) of the electoral act as amended.

In the application, the plaintiff lawyer argued that contrary to the provision of the act and guidelines of APC, the state government manipulated the nomination of APC delegates and compelled them to vote the anointed candidate.

The plaintiff also raised concern over the conduct that allowed the political appointees of the state government to cast their votes contrary to section 84 (13) of the electoral Act which disqualified their participation in the primary.

Meanwhile, Justice Liman granted leave to two motions filed by the plaintiff, first seeking to serve the deputy Governor Nasiru Gawuna service by substituted means.

The plaintiff lawyer alleged that Gawuna deliberately refused to collect court processes, unlike APC and INEC.

The court also granted the plaintiff an order of abridgement of hearing from 30 days to 15 days to enable the court expedite the process.

Subsequent upon granting the orders, the court asked the defendants to file their appearances and enter defense in the suit within the 15 days.

After regularizing all the processes, the parties are expected to agree on a date for hearing on the substantive argument.