Aminu Abbas, the speaker of Adamawa has lost the senatorial ticket for Adamawa Central.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary, which Abbas won in May, was declared invalid by the Federal High Court in Yola on the grounds that it had not been conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act.
Awwal Tukur’s participation in the primary as a political appointee, according to the Court presided over by Justice Abdulaziz Anka, declared the entire process unlawful.
In his decision on the lawsuit brought by Mohammed Modibbo, one of the candidates who ran against Abbas in the primary, Justice Abdulaziz Anka held that Awwal Turkur’s participation violated the Electoral Act because he is a political appointee and chairs the governing council of Adamawa State University.
“The entire process is hereby nullified,” he said, explaining: “The only issue proved before the court is as regards the fourth defendant’s engagement in the primary election conducted, him being a political appointee i.e chairman governing council Adamawa State University, Mubi. Accordingly, the entire process is hereby nullified by this honourable court.”
He said the consequence is that the PDP will not be able to field a candidate for the general election come 2023 “because of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.”
He said further that such is the consequential judgment of the court against the entire political party and its members.
At the PDP Adamawa Central Senatorial primary in May, Abbas defeated Awwal Tukur, who is a son of former chairman of the PDP, Babanga Tukur and five other aspirants that include Barrister D. D. Azura, Mohammed Modibbo, Ibrahim Mustapha, Ibrahim Abubakar and Hon. Abdullahi Prambe.