A federal high court in Kano on Monday nullified the primary election that led to emergence of PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kano, Abba Kabir Yusuf.
A PDP gubernatorial aspirant, Ali Amin-little, had approached the court, challenging the process that led to emergence of Abba Yusuf as PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kano.
It would be recalled that there has been a running battle between Senator Mas’ud El-Jibril Doguwa whose faction produced Malam Salihu Sagir Takai as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Rabiu Kwankaso-led faction that produced Engr. Abba Yusuf.
Former Commissioner for Works, Transport and Housing in Kano, Abba Kabiru Yusuf, a former Commissioner for Works, Transport and Housing in Kano State was declared winner of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries in the election held on 2nd October 2018.
Abba, a son-in-law to former governor and senator representing Kano Central, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, won the PDP primaries during a marathon congress held overnight at Lugard house, a private residence owned by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Declaring the results in the early hours on Tuesday 2 October 2018, Ezogu Dr. Emeka Onunha JP, who identified himself as chairman of PDP gubernatorial primaries in Kano, had claimed that Abba defeated other aspirants with 2,451 votes.
According to him, “On behalf of the National Working Committee of our great party the PDP, who set up the Kano governorship primaries committee for Kano which I am the chairman and by the power conferred on me, I Ezogu Dr. Emeka Onunha JP, I hereby read out the result.
“That, we have 4,130 delegates accredited. That Ibrahim Alhamin scored 51 votes, Jafar Sani Bello had 1,258, Salihu Mohammad Sagir got 95, Muhammad Sadiq Wali scored 167, Akilu S. Indabawa had 33 and Abba Yusuf scored 2,451. We recorded invalid votes of 105”. Onunha declared.
As a follow-up to the one organised by the Kwankaso’s faction, another stakeholders meeting held at Legacy House, Abuja on Thursday 11th October, 2018 where Takai was said to have been elected as candidate of the Doguwa-led PDP.
At the Abuja meeting were many stakeholders, including Ambassador Aminu Bashir Wli, Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, ex-speaker Imam Salisu Buhari and Alhaji Akilu Sani Indamawa, among others.
According to Alhaji Ibrahim Al-Amin Little who said he privy to the meeting, thirty-eight chairmen participated in the election and at the end, Takai got 20 votes; Sadiq Aminu Wali got 16 while he, Al-Amin Little got 2 votes.
However, the decision of the PDP national leadership to insist on Yusuf’s choice as the PDP flag bearer generated an internal crisis which eventually led to the defection of some notable politicians including Malam Salihu Sagir Takai who eventually got the gubernatorial ticket of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), a former Kano State Deputy Governor, Professor Hafiz Abubakar and Alhaji Aminu Dabo among others.
One of the aggrieved contestants, Ibrahim Al-Amin eventually headed to court to challenge the process that led to emergence of Abba Yusuf as flagbearer of the party in Kano State.
The judge, Ambrose Lewis Allagoa, ruled that the PDP did not conduct governorship primary election in Kano, and thereby declared the candidature of Yusuf null and void.
While the Plaintiff counsel, Kabiru Usman says the PDP would have to provide another Governorship candidate before the March 9th polls, the PDP Counsel says the verdict do not affect Abba Kabir as a Candidate but the PDP as a party.
