Court sacks Taraba APC governorship candidate, orders fresh primary election

A federal high court in Jalingo, Taraba State, has sacked Emmanuel Bwacha as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2022 election.

David Sabo Kente, one of the aspirants, had filed a suit against Bwacha’s candidature.

Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Simon Amobeda, the judge, held that no governorship primary election was held in Taraba.

The judge ordered that a fresh primary election should be conducted within 14 days.

The judge ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop recognising Bwacha as the party’s governorship candidate. He also ordered that Bwacha, who is the senator representing Taraba south, should stop parading himself as the governorship candidate of the APC.

The judge condemned the false declaration of results at Danbaba Suntai Airport, Jalingo by the returning officer who afterwards left the country on a private jet.

Reacting to the judgment, counsel for the APC said they would study the judgment and decide whether or not to proceed on appeal or conduct a fresh primary election.