The winner of the Bauchi State House of Representatives Primary election under the platform of the
The New Nigeria Peoples Party, ( NNPP), senate candidate for Bauchi State, Kabiru Mohammed has dragged the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before a Federal High Court for allegedly refusing to publish his name for the 2023 general election after winning the party’s primary.
The case was filed at the Federal High Court, Bauchi and was first mentioned for hearing on Monday, September 26, 2022.
The contention is over who is the rightful candidate of the NNPP to contest in the 2023 general elections to represent Katagum Federal constituency in the House of Representatives.
Kabiru Mohammed is seeking an injunction prohibiting the 3rd defendant, Ibrahim Mohammed Babas from parading himself as the candidate of the NNPP for Katagum Federal constituency for the House of Representatives in the 2023 elections.
Kabiru contested the primary election of the party but lost to Ibrahim Mohammed Babas who did not participate in the party’s primary due to his participation in the Bauchi North Senatorial contest under the platform of the All Progressives Congress APC.
Kabiru who contested the primary election and won, went to court to challenge the attempt by the party to steal his mandate after INEC recognized Ibrahim Mohammed Babas as the candidate for the Katagum Federal House of Representatives in the state.
Shortly after the case was mentioned for hearing at the Federal High court in Bauchi, Kabiru Mohammed said Ibrahim Mohammed Babas decamped to NNPP when he lost the senatorial primary election under the platform of APC.
“My party submitted his name to INEC as the candidate for Katagum Federal House of Representatives but I will not leave any stone unturned in my quest to reclaim my mandate. I resolved not to withdraw from the race for any reason because the mandate was duly given to me by the members of my party”
“I am the elected candidate for the party and I will not withdraw for anybody because, by right, the mandate was given to me by members of our great party. The delegates so conspired and removed my name, I consider this as undemocratic, illegal and of course inhuman. This is the reason why I challenged their action in court” he said
When the case was earlier mentioned in the Bauchi Federal High court, the Counsel to the petitioner Hassan ElYakub, Senior Advocate of Nigeria( SAN) explained that there was an issue of representation as two counsels appeared for the second defendant.
However, a different motion was filed by the second defendant, saying that they want to withdraw one of the suits but Counsel to the defendants, Habila Barau said they were briefed by the second defendant to take over the case from the Counsel that earlier filed the case.
Counsel to the plaintiff ElYaqub disagreed with their submission after a long argument
In his submission, the presiding judge Justice BO Quadri adjourned the matter to Thursday 29th September 2022, to enable them sort out the issues of representation.
