Zamfara polls: Tribunal orders substituted service on APC, Governor-elect

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, for Zamfara, sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, granted permission to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Zamfara, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi to serve the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Mukhta Shehu Idris. The motion granted by the Chairman of the three-man panel , Mrs B. A., on Thursday, ordered […]

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, for Zamfara, sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, granted permission to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Zamfara, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi to serve the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Mukhta Shehu Idris.

The motion granted by the Chairman of the three-man panel , Mrs B. A., on Thursday, ordered that the petitioners can serve the Idris through any adult staff at the National Secretariat of the APC located at Plot 40, Blantyre Street Wuse II, Abuja.

She also ordered that should be pasted on the wall of the national headquarters of APC in Abuja.

Earlier, Counsel to Shinkafi and APGA, Ifeanyi Mbaeri had asked the tribunal for an order of substituted service on APC and its candidate by delivering the petition and all processes at the APC national secretariat situated at Plot 40 Blantyre Street, Wuse 2 or by pasting the petition and all other processes at the entrance gate or any other conspicuous location.

Shinkafi prayed the the tribunal to nullify the governorship elections conducted in the state on March 9 and order for fresh polls without the participation of APC and its candidate Mukhta Shehu Idris.

The plaintiff had in the petition filed by Mbaeri stated that by virtue of Section 177(c) of the 1999 constitution as amended “a person shall be qualified for election to the office of governor of a state if inter alia, he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party to contest the said election”.

Other respondents in the ex-parte motions by the two parties are: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and All Progressives Congress (APC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no date was fixed for the next sitting of the tribunal.

Earlier, Mr Innocent Akidi, the Secretary of the tribunal, told NAN that 40 petitions have been received by the tribunal on the 2019 general elections.

According to Akidi, three petitions have been received in the governorship election held on March 9, and March 23 for the State Assembly and 14 National Assembly, held on Feb. 23.(NAN)