Appeal Court Sacks APC Reps Member Ilyasu Kwankwaso, Affirms Datti As New Winner

The Court of Appeal, Abuja division, on Monday sacked Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a ruling delivered on Monday, the appeal court affirmed and reinstated Yusuf Umar Datti of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the rightful winner of the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency Election. The three-man panel led by Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye allowed an appeal by Yusuf Datti. Delivering its judgment, Justice Awotoye held that the tribunal was wrong to have counted the date of the appellant’s resignation on the date of his party’s primary election and that Section 77 of the Electoral Act was misapplied, saying no court has jurisdiction on the issue of membership of the party, report added. Earlier, the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed Danjuma Goje’s victory as the senator representing the Gombe Central senatorial district. An appeal by the PDP candidate, Abubakar Aliyu, regarding the February 25 senatorial election was rejected by a three-member panel of judges at the appellate court. The Court of Appeal in Abuja has rendered a verdict in the case of the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency election in Kano State. The panel upheld the decision of the National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Gombe, which had previously dismissed Aliyu and the PDP’s petition against Goje and the APC.

APC Suspends Kogi Guber Campaign

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended its campaign for the November 11 Kogi Governorship Election temporarily, as a mark of respect for Ms Khadijat Yahaya, a member of the party who died after an attack by suspected thugs. Mr Kingsley Fanwo, the spokesperson for the state Campaign Council, said stated this in a statement in Lokoja. Khadijat allegedly lost her life after a clash between supporters of Social Democratic Party (SDP) and those of the APC in Kotonkarfe on September 29. Meanwhile, the state APC governorship candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo, visited the family of the deceased in Kotonkarfe on Tuesday to sympathise with them over her demise.Ododo expressed shock at her demise and prayed to God for the repose of her soul.Responding, Malam Saliu Akawu, thanked Ododo for the visit. Akawu said the conduct of Ododo showed that he was a compassionate leader who would always identify with his people. He said that Khadijat was a very peace-loving person whose life was cut short by evil men. Ododo also visited the Palace of the Ohimege of Kotonkarfe, Alhaji Abdulrazak Koto, where he expressed sadness over the death of Khadijat. He described her as a woman of peace who was desirous of seeing development in Kotonkarfe and promised to ensure justice for the deceased family.