A’Court upturns disqualification of APC in Adamawa guber contest

Tallen hails decision, vows to lead Binani’s campaign
The Court of Appeal sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, yesterday, upturned the Federal High Court judgment that disqualified the All Progressives Congress (APC) from presenting a candidate for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

The three-man panel comprising Justices Teni Hassan, M.O. Bolaji and James Abundaga unanimously nullified the verdict of the lower court and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Sen. Aishatu Binani as the APC governorship candidate of the party; dismissing the request by former chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, for fresh primary.

The appellate court’s first judgment set aside the lower court’s ruling and ordered that Binani’s name to sent to INEC as APC governorship flagbearer, while the second struck out Ribadu’s prayer for the conduct of fresh primary election. The third confirmed Binani as Adamawa APC gubernatorial candidate.

Binani, Ribadu and APC separately prayed the appellate court to allow their appeals and overruled the earlier judgment of the High Court on October 14, 2022, which disqualified the party from participating in the 2023 governorship election, following Ribadu’s suit challenging the primary.

APC leadership in the state kept mute over the fresh judgment. Several phone calls were made to the chairman, Mr. Tadawus Samaila, which he did not receive because he was attending a crucial meeting, as he claimed. The publicity secretary, Abdullahi Mohammed, did not pick his calls.

Before yesterday’s judgment, Adamawa APC had been at war with Binani, which led to her removal as the state coordinator for its Presidential Campaign Organisation (PCO).

MEANWHILE, Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, has hailed the decision of the Court of Appeal in Yola, declaring that women will lead the campaign.

The court’s decision broke while Tallen was at the weekly Ministerial Media Briefing anchored by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Apparently excited by the development, Tallen said: “I knew we will make it. Today is a day we are going to celebrate. From here, we are moving to the house, and to the streets to watch what will happen in Adamawa.

“We will lead the campaign. Adamawa women, already, are fully mobilised; they had said that if she’s not given her mandate, they would not come out to contest or vote in any election.”

She revealed that women held a vigil for Binani throughout Wednesday night.

“We did vigil. We have been praying and fasting on this matter and God has answered our prayer. This is a test case; it is not that we don’t have capable women. They did it for me in 2011, did it for the late Mama Taraba and I prayed that under my stewardship, the Lord will wipe my tears,” she added.