The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its ruling on the All Progressives Congress’ application for the review of its May 24 2019 judgment.
The apex court had in its judgment nullified the party’s victories in the general elections held in 2019 in Zamfara State.
At the Tuesday hearing, the five-man panel of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, said the date of the ruling would be communicated to the parties.
The announcement was made after the parties to the case concluded their submissions on the application.
The APC and the faction of the party in Zamfara State led by former Governor Abdulaziz Yari had filed the application for the review of the May 24, 2019 judgment, which had nullified their victories at the general elections barely four days to their inauguration.
The Supreme Court had declared that APC failed to conduct valid primaries and, therefore, had no candidates in the 2019 general elections, saying the votes polled by the APC in the elections was a waste.
Consequently, the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidates, who polled the next highest votes in the elections, were declared the winners of the elections and eventually inaugurated.
The APC’s application for the review of the May 24, 2019 judgment was opposed by Senator Kabiru Marafa-led faction of the party in the state.
APC’s lawyer, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN), on Tuesday urged the court to grant his clients’ application by setting aside the consequential order which directed that the candidates with the next highest votes be sworn in.
The counsel pleads the apex court to order the APC to conduct fresh primaries, arguing the previous orders of the apex court were made without jurisdiction.
Countering, the Marafa faction’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), urged the apex court to dismiss the application and award huge and punitive costs against the applicants’ lawyer.
