Court Nullifies Election Of PDP’s House Of Reps Candidate In Kebbi

The Federal High Court sitting in Kebbi has nullified the election of Haruna Garba Argungu as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  for Argungu/Augie Federal Constituency in Kebbi State.

In a ruling on Monday, Justice B. G. Ashigar declared Sani Yakubu Noma as the party’s candidate and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise him.

Earlier, Noma had filed an application against Argungu, the PDP and INEC over the conduct of the House of Representatives Primary Election held on May 23.

In the application, Noma asked the court to declare the result of the election conducted by the PDP for the constituency by which he was declared the winner as the valid result of the primaries.

He said by virtue of the provision of Sections 29 (i) and 84 (5) (c) (ii) of the Election Act, 2022 and the Electoral Guidelines for Primary Election of the PDP, the substitution of his name with that of Haruna Garba Argungu was not valid and legal and cannot be sustained.

Noma said Argungu’s name cannot and ought not to be forwarded to INEC as the valid winner of the primary election for the 2023 general elections.

He asked for an order setting aside the substitution and publication of Argungu as the candidate of PDP for the constituency in respect of the 2023 general election and sought an order compelling PDP to forward his name to INEC as the authentic candidate for the constituency.

He asked for an order of perpetual injunction restraining PDP, whether by itself, National Chairman, officers, agents, privies, or through any persons, or through any person or persons howsoever, from presenting Argungu as the candidate for the constituency.

The court, therefore, granted the prayer of Noma and asked INEC to him as the only valid and lawful candidate of the PDP for the constituency in the 2023 general election.