Supreme Court upholds Gov. Zulum’s, Kyari’s election, dismisses Idris’s Appeal
BY Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri
The Supreme Court of Nigeria sitting in Abuja Thursday, dismissed an appeal filed by a governorship aspirant Alhaji Idris Mamman Durkwa who was challenging the election of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum as Governor of Borno State.
The court also dismissed a similar appeal filed by Hajja Fati Kaakenna Alkali Monguno who was challenging the election of Senator Abubakar Kyari representing Borno north.
In a well considered judgment, five justices of the Supreme Court, led by Hon justice John Iyang Okoro dismissed both appeals for lacking in merit.
Idris and Kaakenna, who separately challenged the September/October, 2018 APC primaries in Borno State, had approached the supreme court after losing at both the Federal High Court, Maidugiri and the court of appeal in Jos
At the supreme court, counsel to Idris and Kaakenna, IK Bawa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had filed his briefs of arguments, praying the court to invoke its powers and set aside the concurrent judgements of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri and the court of Appeal Jos.
The counsel wanted the court to remove Governor Zulum and Senator Kyari from office and declare Idris and Kaakenna validly elected as Governor and Senator respectively.
However, counsel to Professor Zulum and Senator Kyari, Yusuf Ali, a senior advocate of Nigeria, represented in court by KK Eleja, also a senior advocate, argued that the appeals were statute barred hence lacking in merit and argued that the appeals be summarily dismissed.
Five judges of the Supreme Court agreed with the argument and dismissed the two appeals.
With these judgments, both Idris and Kaakenna have reached end of the road in their litigation against the governorship and senatorial primaries in Borno State.