Kaduna: Suit seeking to disqualify APC governorship candidate, Uba adjourned

A lawsuit seeking to disqualify Senator Uba Sani which was filed by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) at the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has been adjourned.

Senator Uba is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Kaduna State in the 2023 election, but the NNPP whose candidate is Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi is contesting the eligibility of the APC’s candidate in Court.

Hunkuyi said, Senator Uba Sani’s name which reflected in the cleared list by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ought not to have been so which in his thinking violates the law.

The NNPP candidate faulted the process that produced Senator Uba Sani as the Kaduna 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, saying that Uba Sani didn’t meet the requirements in law.

When the came up for hearing, Justice
Hadiza R. Shagari, of the Federal High Court adjourned the matter, following application for extension of time filled by NNPP counsel.

In an interview, counsel to the Plaintiff, Barr. Bello Ibrahim who represented the lead counsel, Barr. Wole Ogunbiade, SAN, said they were served the processes of the respondent lately, and have responded, and accordingly filed their papers but were not transmitted into the judge’s file by the registry in good time.

“I had my own copy and I stood up to move my own when I discovered that the registry staff have not been able to put the copy of the process we file in the judge’s file,” he said, adding that the court cannot wait for it to be done same day, and therefore had to adjourned to the next day.

Also in an interview, counsel to APC, Sule Shiaibu said the matter was adjourned for Thursday for purpose of house keeping, hearing of various applications for extension of time and filing of various process and to hear the substantives suit.

“Incidentally, at this morning, counsel to the plaintiff, NNPP filed another fresh application for extension of time to regularise again. That application was not served on us, it was not before the court and matter was stood down.

“The court has copies but the counsel has no copy. So the court in its wisdom adjourned the matter to tomorrow 16th sept 2022 in the interest of justice.

“And for the purpose of taking that motion and all papers, having comes in then, the matter will be heard tomorrow,” he said.

According to him, INEC is been sued while APC is joined. “We’re joined with the view of disqualifying candidates of APC.”

Counsel to INEC who came in from Abuja declined comments when contacted, but promised that everything would be sorted out before tomorrow on their part to ensure smooth hearing to meet up the deadline for pre-election matters in court.