In a dramatic turn of event, the
All Progressive Congress (APC) has asked the Supreme Court to sack Governor
Waziri Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on the ground of irregularities in the
primary election that produced him as the party’s candidate in 2014.
The party in a change of gear
directed its new counsel, Abduganiyu Arobo to concede to the appeal filed by
Senator Umaru Dahiru to get judgement entered in favour of the appellant.
To pave way for the actualization
of its new position, the APC de-briefed its lead counsel Mr. Jibrin Okutepa,
who stood for the party at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal where
he got favourable judgments for the party.
At yesterday’s hearing, a new
counsel, Abdulganiyu Arobo announced his appearance for APC shortly after the
senior lawyer made same appearance.
In the drama that ensued, Arobo
told Justice Mohammed Musa Dattijo-led panel that the senior lawyer had been
asked to step aside from the suit and that a letter to that effect had been
served on him.
Okutepa in response admitted
receiving a letter but insisted that his legal fee payment issue has to be
resolved before he will step aside.
Justice Dattijo who demanded for
a copy of the letter, drew the attention of the senior counsel to a portion of
the letter that he was engaged for the party by governor Tambuwal and that he
should approach Tambuwal for his legal fees payment.
At this point, Okutepa announced
his withdrawal from the appeal.
He, however, told the apex court
that he ran into stormy waters with the party when he declined to agree to
reverse the positions canvassed by APC at the Federal High Court and the Court
of Appeal.
He said he declined to agree
because in law, parties must be consistent with their position and that APC was
no longer ready to be consistent with its earlier position in two previous
courts.
Okutepa further said that the new
position of APC came about because of the defection of Governor Tambuwal from
the party to the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) adding that since he was not a
politician but a minister in the temple of justice, he could not join them in
the new position.
However, the appeal could not be
heard as the court informed parties to wait till January 25, 2019 for its
decision in the preliminary objection against hearing of the suit filed by
Tambuwal.
Justice Dattijo subsequently
fixed March 5, 2019 for hearing of the appeal.
Recall that Dahiru also of APC
had challenged the nomination of Tambuwal on the ground that the list of
delegates who ought to vote at the 2014 primary election of the party was
fraudulently swapped to favour governor Tambuwal.
He urged the court to nullify the
primary election or in the alternative, declare him as the rightful candidate
of the party for the 2015 governorship election.
The appellant lost at the high
court and court of appeal prompting him to approach the Supreme Court for final
decision
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