Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders under the auspices of All Registered APC Support Groups (ARAS-g) has passionately appealed to the Supreme Court to review its earlier judgement which nullified all the candidates of the party in the 2019 general elections in Zamfara and Bayelsa states.
The apex court, on May 24, upheld the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division which upturned the ruling of the State High Court, Gusau, that earlier ordered INEC to accept all candidates of the APC. The development which nullified votes cast for APC in the governorship, National Assembly and state Assembly elections in Zamfara State.
The apex court judgement led to the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) emerging winners in the election.
Addressing newsmen at the headquarters of the party in Abuja, the national chairman, Nonso Ezedimma, argued that having legally been on the ballot during the polls, the court should reconsider its earlier stand and restore the wishes of the Zamfara people.
He said that the people voted for the APC in all the elections and were crying for the return of their mandate.
“The ruling of the Sokoto Appeal was defective because the court erred in granting reliefs which were prayed consequence upon the jurisdiction of the state High Court on election matters.
“We believe since the Appeal Court ruled that the state High Court do have such jurisdiction, it should not have gone ahead to void the order of the said court.
“We pray their lordships to review the ruling and being a court of records, set it aside and give justice to the teeming masses who came out to vote for the APC candidates in the said election,” the statement read.
The group also appealed to the Marafa faction of the party to join hands with former Governor Abdulaziz Yari to restore the pride of the APC in Zamfara people.
On Bayelsa State, the group said: “We are also saddened about the Supreme Court judgement in Bayelsa State, the same court ordered the re-election in Bauchi State in 1999 and also in Kogi State 2016, said that the position of governor and the deputy are not tied together.
“We are surprised that the same issue was used to deny APC victory in Bayelsa State governorship election. Let us take it that Supreme Court makes mistake this time. We are calling on them to reverse the mistake made for the sake of history,” the group noted.