From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A Kaduna State High Court sitting in Zaria has ruled that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship Aspirant in the State, Isa Mohammed Ashiru is qualified to contest the 2023 governorship election.
Director, Legal Services of the Ashiru Campaign Organization, Hussaini Abdu told Reporters at a press conference on Thursday that following an outcome of a suit filed by a member of PDP, Abdullahi Isa at the High Court in Zaria, alleging that the Aspirant was not qualified to contest, the Court has ruled in favour of Ashiru that he is qualified to contest the 2023 governorship election because he has the minimum educational qualification.
Abdu said with the legal victory recorded in a Zaria Court on May 9, 2022 Ashiru is set not just to contest in 2023, but optimistic of winning the governorship seat.
“We found it necessary to address rumours that Rt. Honourable Isa Mohammed Ashiru does not have certificates to contest, being peddled by desperate politicians.
“The politicians could not match his pedigree as a frontline aspirant for Kaduna governorship.
“They aim to cause confusion and panic to citizens of Kaduna State. One of them, Abdullahi Isa, who is a card carrying member of PDP from Igabi LGA, decided to file the suit against Rt. Honourable Isa Ashiru in Zaria.
“He sought an order to disqualify Rt. Honourable Ashiru from contesting upcoming 2023 elections,” he said.
The Director, Legal Services said, “Ashiru himself testified in court and called another witness to testify and he tendered six documents with requisite qualifications in court”.
He explained that documents tendered by his client, who was the defendant, included certificates from primary school, up to a masters certificate.
“On May 9, 2022 the Judge issued judgment in favour of Hon Ashiru.
“The case was dismissed by the court and the young man who was plaintiff has started complying and made publication in a National newspaper.
“He has done the first publication, out of two he is expected to do. He is also expected to pay N1m for damages and if he fails, we would go to enforcement.
“The victory is clear, you cannot deceive electorate with frivolous accusations to spoil chances of candidates during elections.
“Instead of them to face him squarely at the polls, they decided to adopt falsehood.
“Section 123 of amended Electoral Act warns that anyone who publishes falsehood against any candidate, would be convicted if found guilty and pay a fine of N100,000 or six months in prison. With this section, we can take it up as a criminal case, instead of previous civil cases that were handled.
He therefore, warned the general public, especially politicians to embrace issue based campaigns like Ashiru camp, or risk being sued for defamation.
“We have documented those who have done falsehood, until after primaries, if they fail to retract, we will then file preponderance of suits in courts, we will never allow unscrupulous elements to be poisoning election setting in Nigeria,” Abdu warned.
He pointed out that, for eligibility to contest polls in Nigeria, the law says, “At least, with a secondary school certificate, you are capable of contesting election of governor of the state, which Rt Honorable Ashiru had over satisfied”.
In a related development, he pointed out another case of defamation filed by his client against a former PDP gubernatorial aspirant in 2019, Mainan Zazzau, Dr. Sani Bello, who has since defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Abdu said, “Interestingly, Dr. Bello, who is not a member of PDP, wrote the PDP national secretariat, demanding that their aspirant should be disqualified from contesting in 2023, as a result of the law suit, where unfortunately for him, he is the defendant.
“He through his counsel, wrote to PDP national that the party should disqualify Rt. Honourable Isa Ashiru from contesting the primary election.
“He is not a card carrying member of PDP, neither is his lawyer and he is a campaign DG of an aspirant from his party APC. If we field a bad candidate, is it not to their advantage? Why is he crying more than the bereaved, for a reason that there is a case before the court, and the case is yet to be determined by the court”.