Atiku Reacts As Supreme Court Rules Against APC In Zamfara

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has commended the Supreme Court over its judgment against the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara state, northern Nigeria.

It would be recalled that the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal challenging the nullification of the APC primary elections in Zamfara state. The apex court also voided all votes cast for the party during the general elections.

The five-member panel of justices, in a unanimous judgment, held that the APC in Zamfara state failed to conduct primaries in accordance with the party rules.

The Supreme court in a lead judgment by Justice Paul Adamu Galinji, declared all votes cast for the APC as “wasted votes” and ordered that the runner-up candidate be sworn in if he fulfils the constitutional requirement of getting one-quarter of the total votes cast in at least two-thirds of the local government areas of the northern state.

The justices also awarded cost of N10m against APC in favour of the Kabiru Marafa faction of the APC and other respondents in the appeal.

The panel sounded a note of warning to politicians against destroying the country’s democracy.

The governor-elect of the state, Mukhtar Shehu, filed the appeal challenging the judgment of a Sokoko appellate court which nullified the ruling party’s primaries in the state.

Reacting to the news of the judgment in a statement issued by Paul Ibe, his media aide, the former Vice President said: “nothing is as pleasing to the ears of believers, as justice being served in the holy month of Ramadan.”

Abubakar commended the Supreme Court Justices for putting aside the interests of the “powerful and upholding the interests of Nigeria and Nigerians.”

“God first, Nigeria second, must be our priority as trustees of the people.

“When justice prevails, the people rejoice, chains are broken, freedom is multiplied and society is enriched,” he added.

The former Vice President expressed optimism that the “Supreme Court and our Lords Justices will let Lady Justice have full reign in other petitions that will come before them, and that good conscience, fear of God and the rule of law will prevail.”

Abubakar added that “in so doing, they will write their names for good on the sands of time and avoid the infamy that oppressors wish to thrust on them as their legacy.”

The PDP Presidential candidate congratulated the “Governor-elect Hon. Bello Matawalle and the people of Zamfara, who will finally have a government that will address the issues that have made life an ordeal in that great state. The storm is over and peace and calm are coming to Zamfara.”