An Abuja Federal High Court on Wednesday ordered Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and PDP to recognise Alhaji Gambo Lawan as the party’s governorship candidate for 2015 general elections in Borno.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Lawan, who won last year’s Borno PDP governorship primary election was later replaced with Alhaji Mohammed Imam by the party.
This prompted Lawan to institute the suit challenging the party’s decision and seeking to replace Imam whose name had already been forwarded to INEC by PDP.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ahmed Mohammed held that Lawan won the primary election conducted by the party and that it was wrong for PDP to substitute his name with Imam’s.
He, therefore, ordered INEC to recognise Lawan as the authentic Borno PDP governorship candidate for the 2015 general elections in place of Imam.
The judge also directed PDP to take steps to list Lawan’s name as the governorship candidate and forward same to INEC in place of Imam for the purpose of the election.
The plaintiff had in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1123/2014, challenged the party’s decision to substitute his name with Imam’s, and joined Imam, PDP and INEC as co-defendants.
Mr Damian Dodo (SAN), Lawan’s counsel, had urged the court to declare that PDP’s decision was “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.’’
Lawan also sought the court’s order pronouncing Lawan the party’s candidate.
He also prayed the court for an order compelling INEC to put his name on the ballot paper and to stop Imam from further parading himself as governorship candidate.
The plaintiff also urged the court to give an order of perpetual injunction stopping PDP and INEC from recognising and dealing with Imam as Borno PDP governorship candidate.
Lawan also urged the court to direct PDP and INEC to take steps to list his name as the governorship candidate for the election.
