The Federal High Court Jalingo, on Wednesday, disqualified the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Sani Abubakar Danladi, from contesting in the governorship election for Taraba state slated for Saturday.
The presiding judge justice Stephen Pam, in his ruling on the case of age falsification brought against Danladi by Usman Udi and three others, said that Danladi had filed a different date of birth to the third defendant The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the one on his WAEC certificate and so declared the information he supplied to the INEC as false.
“The information given by the first defendant Abubakar Sani Danladi as to his age in the affidavit in support of his personal particulars in the INEC Form CF001 submitted to INEC is hereby declared false. Danladi is hereby disqualified from contesting election as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC, in the governorship election for Taraba state slated for 9th March 2019 or any subsequent date to be slated on the ground that the information contained in the Form CF001 as submitted to INEC as to his age is false” Pam ruled.
Reacting to the judgment, the Taraba State spokesperson of the All progressive congress (APC), Aron Aritmas described the judgment as mischievous and comical.
He said it was an attempt by the PDP agents and the state government to escape defeat on Saturday.
Aritmas who explained that the Appeal court in 2007 struck out the case and no lower court have the jurisdiction to revisit it’s ruling also said there was a legal process in place to set aside the judgment.
“This is a mischievous and comical judgment by the federal high court Jalingo, on a case filed by some unknown persons parading as concerned citizens, who raised the issue of a purported improper declaration of age by His excellency Sani Danladi.
However, we wish our teaming
supporters to note that the issue had been taken to court in 2007 and was subsequently dismissed by the Appeal court. It should also be noted that all judgments passed by the Appeal court supersedes those of the lower courts in the whole country.
There is also a legal process involved in the substitution of candidates by INEC and therefore a court judgment does not automatically translate to disqualification to contest an election.
Legal steps have already commenced to set aside this mischievous judgment which view as another desperate attempt by agents of the PDP and the state government to escape defeat on Saturday”.
The spoke person called on APC faithful and members of the public to continue with their normal preparation towards the saturday’s election. “All our agents are also hereby directed to ensure that they dutifully accompany all sensitive materials and to ensure their distributions to all designated voting areas”.
