Court disqualifies NNPP guber candidate, Mubarak in Kogi

Musa Salihu Mubarak was the NNPP’s gubernatorial candidate for Kogi State in the upcoming election on November 11, however he was disqualified by the Federal High Court in Abuja for unlawful replacement.

Mubarak was disqualified from running for governor of Kogi by Justice James Kolawole Omotosho on the grounds that his name had been falsely submitted to INEC as a candidate for the NNPP.

On Tuesday, Justice Omotoso ruled that Hon. Hassan Abdullahi should once again serve as the party’s candidate for governor of Kogi State because he legitimately prevailed in the party’s primary election held on April 16, 2023, in Lokoja.

After tallying the results from the primary election for governor of Kogi State on April 16, Justice Omotoso ruled that 303 people voted for Abdullahi and 10 people voted for Mubarak.

The submission of Mubarak’s name over Abdullahi’s was deemed the apex of injustice and a blatant deception that could not be permitted to stand by the court.

The judge ruled that INEC’s publication of Mubarak’s name, who received only 10 votes, was unlawful, illegal, null, and invalid, and had no impact.

On April 28, both the plaintiff’s and Mubarak’s names were submitted to INEC, but only Mubarak’s was recognized. This was determined by Justice Omotoso.

Since INEC’s monitoring report and Abdullahi’s submission of his name indicate that he won the primary election handily and without controversy, the judge ruled that only death or voluntary withdrawal may remove Abdullahi’s name off the list of gubernatorial candidates.

The filing, recognition, and publication of Mubarak’s name as NNPP governorship candidate for Kogi were all deemed illegal by the court, which cited Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022.

Justice Omotoso ordered a permanent restraining order prohibiting the NNPP, INEC, and its representatives from denying the plaintiff any additional benefits from winning the NNPP’s primary election.