Court sacks Buhari’s former aide as House of Reps member-elect

A Federal High Court in Kano Thursday sacked former senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly matters, Kawu Sumaila, as the elected House of Representative member of Sumaila/Takai federal constituency of Kano.

Sumaila won the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in February but the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Shamsuddeen Dambazau as the APC candidate for the position.

Dambazau sued INEC, APC, and Sumaila challenging the nomination of the latter as the candidate of the party.

The former presidential aide initially contested for Kano South senatorial seat and lost to Kabiru Gaya. Following his defeat, the state chapter of APC compensated him with House of Representatives ticket of the same constituency.

The judge, Lewis Allagoa, ruled that the action of the APC was illegal as Sumailia did not participate in the APC primary for the House of Representatives.

The judge ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Sumaila.