The Court of Appeal Court, Abuja has declared David Jimkuta, as the elected candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming Taraba South Senatorial District election.
Jimkuta had won the APC primary election for Taraba South but was wrongfully substituted by his party with Danjuma Shiddi.
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However, Jimkuta headed to the Federal High Court in Jalingo to seek redress, having polled 170 votes in the party’s primary election against Shiddi’s 70 votes.
He urged the court to declare him winner of the primary and stop the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising Shiddi as the APC Senatorial candidate for the Taraba South.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Hamman Barka held that the primary election that produced Jimkuta was conducted by the National working committee of the APC and was valid according to relevant laws.
The 3-man panel of the appellate court set aside the decision of the Federal High Court Jalingo, which dismissed Jimkuta’s suit challenging his substitution with Danjuma Shiddi.
The panel held that only the NWC of the APC has the powers, rights, and vires to conduct a valid primary election for the party.
