Supreme Court sacks Emmanuel Bwacha as Taraba APC governorship candidate

The Supreme Court has nullified the nomination of Emmanuel Bwacha as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State.

In its judgement delivered on Wednesday, a five-member panel of the court led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun upheld the finding of the Federal High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, that the APC did not conduct any valid governorship primary poll in the state.

The court gave the judgement in the case which began with a suit lodged by David Kente, one of the governorship aspirants with whom Mr Bwacha had jostled for the APC’s governorship ticket.

Upholding Mr Kente’s suit, a judge, Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court, Jalingo, had on 20 September 2022 nullified Mr Bwacha’s candidature.

The trial judge faulted the declaration of the purported results of the primary election from Danbaba Suntai Airport, Jalingo as recorded by the returning officer who afterwards left the country.

Consequently, Mr Amobeda ordered that a fresh primary election should be conducted within 14 days.

But, on 24 November 2022, the Court of Appeal in Yola, Adamawa State, voided the Federal High Court’s decision, restoring Mr Bwacha as the APC’s governorship candidate in Taraba State.

Dissatisfied, Mr Kente, a journalism teacher, through his lawyer, Kanu Agabi, appealed to the Supreme Court.

In its verdict on Wednesday, the Supreme Court said the Court of Appeal erred when it set aside the judgement of the trial court, holding that Mr Kente’s appeal was meritorious.

The governorship election is billed for 11 March.

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Mr Bwacha represents Taraba South Senatorial District at the National Assembly.

This paper reported that the APC primary election in Taraba was plagued by in-fighting.

During the primary, APC officials billed to conduct the primary election were taken to the headquarters of the state police command after some members of the party tried to mob them.