A Federal High Court denied nullifying the candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect, Dr. Alex Otti.
It, however, said it nullified the election of candidates of the Labour Party in Kano state for the 2023 general election.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a plaintiff, Ibrahim Haruna-Ibrahim, had filed an application seeking the court to revoke and set aside the certificate of return issued to all LP candidates declared winner in Kano State, the other 35 states of the Federation and FCT, Abuja.
NAN reports that the respondents in the suit are: Labour Party and Independent National Electoral Commission.
Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa said the candidates who participated in the 2023 general election in Abia State were not parties before his court.
Nasir-Yunusa said: “This court lacks jurisdiction to make an order for the issuance of certificate of return.
“They are at liberty to seek redress in the appropriate Division of the court.”
He said INEC was bound to insist receiving the registered members of the first respondent and that of other political parties 30 days before primary election in compliance with section 77(3) of the electoral act 2022.
The section states that a party that has not complied with the section 77(2)(3) of the electoral act 2022 cannot be declared winner of the election.
The court declared the primary election of the LP in Kano as null and void.
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