The Supreme Court of Nigeria has dismissed application by the Sokoto State
chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and it’s governorship
candidate, Senator Abdallah Wali, to be joined as parties in a suit filed
by Senator Umaru Dahiru challenging the nomination of Governor Aminu
Waziri Tambuwal as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in
the April 2015 election.
Presiding judge, Justice Sulaiman Galadima, Monday ruled that PDP and Wali
lacked the locus standi to apply to be joined in the suit, describing the
two as interlopers who should not take part in a matter purely involving
another party.
Even though Sokoto PDP had announced that they will not challenge the
election of Tambuwal in 2015, they however, through case number
SC/67/2016, sought to be joined as parties in Dahiru’s suit on the grounds
that if it succeeds, Wali should be declared winner of the election.
In a notice of motion for joinder filed at the apex court by EK Ashiekaa
SAN, Wali and PDP contended that having participated in the 2015
governorship election, and having scored the next highest number of votes
cast after that of Tambuwal, they have sufficient grounds to be joined in
the case.
They said the reliefs sought by Dahiru would have an effect on the outcome
of the Sokoto governorship election by creating a vacuum.
“That the vacuum likely to be created by the success of the Appellants
appeal can only be filled by the applicant who scored the next highest
returned votes,” they argued.
Justice Galadima however struck out the application, foreclosing any move
by the PDP to get APC removed from power in Sokoto through the back door.
No date yet has been set for hearing on the interlocutory appeal filed by
Senator Umar Dahiru challenging the ruling of the Appeal Court which held
that his case at the Federal High Court against Tambuwal’s emergence as
APC candidate for the April 2015 governorship election could not proceed
since it has been overtaken by events and will be a mere academic exercise
if it proceeds.