The Court of Appeal sitting in Yola has set aside the judgement of Federal High court Jalingo disqualifying the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate Sani Danladi from contesting the March 9, 2019 election.
Recall that on Wednesday, less than three days to the Governorship and State Assembly elections, a Federal High Court Sitting in Jalingo, Taraba state capital had ordered the disqualification of the governorship candidate over age falsification.
Justice Stephen Pam of the FHC, gave the order in respect to a case filed by Usman Udi, Joshua Paaku, George Geoffrey and Tanko Muslim Munkaila on 9th January 2019 with case code Suit No. FHC/JAL/CS/1/2019, against Abubakar Sani Danladi, All Progressive Congress, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The court in its ruling ordered that “the first defendant, Sani Abubakar Danladi is prohibited from parading himself as the candidate of the second defendant, APC in the governorship election for Taraba state slated for 9th March 2019 or any subsequent date to be slated.”
The reason given for the disqualification of Danladi in the ruling was the discrepancy in his date of birth.
According to the ruling, “it is hereby declared that the information contained in the affidavit of the 1st defendant, Abubakar Sani Danladi supporting his personal particulars that he was born on 14th February, 1968 is in conflict with his date of birth contained in the West African Senior School Certificate submitted by him to the third defendant, INEC, which indicates that the 1st defendant was born on 3rd April 1977.
” That the information given by the 1st defendant as to his age in the affidavit in support of his personal particulars in the INEC Form CF001 submitted to the 3rd defendant, INEC by him is hereby declared false and hereby disqualified from contesting election as the candidate of the 2nd defendant, APC in the governorship election for Taraba state.”
Chairman of the state APC, Ibrahim Elsudi at a briefing in response to the court’s verdict in Jalingo, called the ruling “mischievous”.
Details of the Court of Appeal Judgement will be published later.
