Though Lawan initially accepted the verdict and made public his decision not to appeal the judgement, he, however, made a U-turn and has secretly been sponsoring an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja
The Court of Appeal in Abuja will today, Monday, November 28, 2022, deliver judgement in an appeal filed by the ruling All Progressives Congress, challenging the decision of the lower court which declared Bashir Machina as the rightful senatorial candidate of the APC for Yobe North.
The court had reserved its judgment after the counsel for the parties made their closing arguments on November 11.
The appellate court would determine the authentic senatorial candidate of the APC for Yobe North between Machina and Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
In June, a Federal High Court in Damaturu, Yobe State, declared Machina as the APC senatorial candidate for Yobe North having emerged from a valid primary election that was conducted on May 28, 2022.
Though Lawan initially accepted the verdict and made public his decision not to appeal the judgement, he, however, made a U-turn and has secretly been sponsoring an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
The case is before the President of the Court, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem and two other Justices of the court.
“Lawan has also been putting intense pressure on Mai Mala Buni, Yobe State Governor to reach out to his Plateau State counterpart, Simon Lalong who played a vital role in the emergence of Monica as President of the Court of Appeal,” a top source had revealed.
It was also gathered that Lawan had asked the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Opeyemi Bamidele to undermine the budget of the Judiciary should the Justices refuse to do his bidding.
Machina won the primary election organised by the APC in May 2022, while Lawan opted to contest the presidential primary election organised by the APC in June.
Lawan lost the APC presidential ticket to former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu.
However, Machina was asked to step down for Lawan but he insisted that he would not withdraw for the Senate President.
Amid the controversy, the APC submitted the Senate President’s name to INEC as its senatorial candidate for Yobe North.
Miffed by the development, Machina headed to court to seek redress. Specifically, Machina in his suit asked the court to declare him as the validly elected senatorial candidate of the APC for the 2023 election.
Justice Aminu nullified the parallel primary election that produced Lawan on June 9, 2022.
Consequently, the trial judge ordered the APC to forward the name of Machina to INEC as the authentic winner of the primary held in May.