Supreme Court dismisses APC suit, affirms PDP winner of Zamfara poll

The Supreme Court has dismissed the application by the Abdulaziz Yari’s faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, seeking the review of the May 24, 2019 judgement which removed the APC from power.

It would be recalled that the Supreme Court had ruled that the APC had no candidates having failed to conduct valid primaries ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The judgement had favoured the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has since occupied all positions contested for at the polls.

However, Yari’s factional lawyer, Robert Clarke (SAN) had prayed the court to review the consequential order, because it was wrongly made.

Clarke argued that the Supreme Court should have directed the APC and INEC to conduct fresh primaries and elections in Zamfara State.

He also argued that by the consequential order, the Supreme Court made it possible for the PDP to benefit from the outcome of the dispute.

But lawyer to Senator Kabir Marafa’s faction, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) urged the court to dismiss the application with the punitive cost.

Ozekhome said the application was without merit and constituted an abuse of the process of the court.

But ruling on Friday, the Apex Court dismissed the application for the review of the judgement.

The court also awarded the cost of N2 million against the applicant to be paid to the respondents.

A lead judgement delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro held that the application was a vexatious, frivolous and gross abuse of court process.

Justice Okoro further held that the application lacked merit, adding that the apex court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain an application seeking a review of its judgement.

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