The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Sha’aban Sharada, on Thursday instituted a legal action before a Federal High Court in Kano, seeking the disqualification of the Kano State Deputy Governor, Nasiru Gawuna, as the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress in the state.
The lawmaker, who represents the Kano Municipal Federal Constituency, also joined the state chapter of the APC and Independent National Electoral Commission in the suit
Notwithstanding the anointing of Gawuna alongside the former Commissioner for Local government Affairs, Murtala Garo, by the Kano APC stakeholders as the governorship candidate and the running mate, the federal lawmaker went ahead to contest the primary.
Sha’aban is seeking the nullification of the primary that produced Gawuna as the party’s gubernatorial candidate on the grounds that the process was in breach of the provision of Electoral Act, 2022.
In an ex parte application filed before the Federal High Court, Kano, the plaintiff through his counsel, J. O. Asoluka, SAN, insisted that Gawuna’s emergence was in violation of Section 84 (1),(3),(8),(12) and (13) of the Electoral Act as amended.
In addition, the plaintiff’s lawyer argued that contrary to the provision of the Act and the guidelines of the APC, the state government manipulated the nomination of delegates and compelled them to vote for the anointed candidate.
He also expressed concern over the conduct of the primary that allowed the political appointees of the state governor to cast their votes contrary to Section 84 (13) of the Electoral Act, which disqualified their participation in the primary.
Meanwhile, Justice Liman has granted leave for the two motions filed by the plaintiff first seeking to serve the deputy governor by substituted means.
The plaintiff’s lawyer alleged that Gawuna deliberately refused to collect court processes unlike the APC and INEC.
The court also granted the plaintiff an order of abridgement of hearing from 30 days to 15 days to enable it to expedite the process.
