Court disqualifies Taraba APC guber candidate, issues arrest warrant on Ekere

A Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, Taraba State has disqualified the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Sani Abubakar Danladi.

Some group of persons had earlier taken the APC candidate to court over his alleged improper declaration of age.

Ruling on the matter yesterday in Jalingo, the Judge, Stephen Pam, said the information given by the first defendant (Danladi) “as to his age in the affidavit in support of his personal details submitted in Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s form CF001 is hereby declared false.”

Pam, who declared that Danladi was disqualified from contesting election as APC’s candidate in the Taraba State governorship of March 9, 2019, warned him to stop “parading himself as candidate of the second defendant (INEC)” in the exercise.

He said, “The first defendant is hereby prohibited from parading himself as candidate of the APC in the governorship election for Taraba State slated for March 9, 2019 or any other date to be fixed.”

He directed INEC to urgently refrain from “recognising, accepting or treating the first defendant as APC candidate in the March 9 governorship election for Taraba or any subsequent date to be slated.”

When contacted for comment, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Baba Yusuf Abba, said the commission was not aware of the disqualification of any governorship candidate in the state.

But in a swift reaction to the judgement, APC leaders in the state described the court action as “mischievous and a comical judgement.”

Led by the state Chairman, El-Sudi Tukur Ibrahim, the party, which argued that “a court judgement does not translate to disqualification, said the issue had been taken to court and was subsequently dismissed by the Appeal Court.”

It added that judgements of the Appeal Court supersede those of the lower courts in the country, urging party supporters and candidates vying for House of Assembly positions to go about their campaigns peacefully.

Meanwhile, a Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Rivers State has issued a warrant of arrest against Akwa Ibom State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Nsima Ekere over an alleged N2.4 billion fraud.

The court presided over by Sir. S. D. Andrew-Jaja issued the warrant of arrest yesterday with charge number PMC/MSC/15/2019, following Ekere’s plan to boycott court judgement.

Also to be arrested is the Director of Legal Services, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Kaltungo Moljengo, for conspiracy to prevent execution or enforcement of a lawful order.

Addressing a press conference in Uyo, lawyer representing Multi-Intelligence Development Limited, V. C. Edward Ekpo, said, “In 2011, NDDC awarded contracts to four companies.

“Having executed the job worth over N2.4 billion, were denied payment after obtaining loans from banks, individuals among other financial institutions to service the contract.”