By IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI
The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, held that Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki was validly elected as the lawmaker representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, who gave the ruling after he dismissed a suit that was filed before him by an aggrieved aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the District, Alhaji Lasisi Kolawole Jimoh, said he was convinced that the nomination of the erstwhile governor, Saraki, by the party, met the requirements of the law.
While throwing out the suit, Justice Auta stressed that the plaintiff failed to disclose any irregularity, fraud or malpractice capable of persuading the court to nullify the candidacy of the former governor, saying the court action was baseless and grossly lacking in merit.
Meanwhile, the trial judge maintained that having gone through all the court processes, he discovered that there was a prior primary election of the PDP in the District on January 7, which he said was validly won by one Alhaji Isiaka Gold with 1, 064 votes while the plaintiff, Jimoh, emerged second with 12 votes.
He however noted that sequel to a sudden withdrawal of the said winner of that primary, Gold, from the political race, the party conducted a by-election through which Saraki subsequently emerged as its Senatorial candidate.
Vanguard Nigeria