Court rules in case against Borno governor-elect, Zulum

The Federal High Court, Maiduguri, on Tuesday dismissed a case seeking nullification of governorship primaries of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the case was filed before the court on Dec. 19, 2018; by a chieftain of the APC, Alhaji Mamman Durkwa.

Durkwa challenged the emergence of the Borno governor-elect, Prof. Babagana Zulum, as the candidate of the party in the primaries conducted on Sept. 30, 2018.

Those joined in the case were the APC and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Delivering judgment; the trial judge, Justice Jude Dagat, said the court dismissed the case due to the inability of the plaintiff to file it within the 14-day period, as stipulated in the Electoral Act.

Dagat said the case is a pre-election matter that must be guided by the provisions of the law.

He noted that the case was brought before the court after the expiration of the time frame provided by the electoral act.

The judge, therefore, dismissed the case and ordered a 30 day grace within which to appeal.

The Defense Counsel, Abdulwasiu Alfa, expressed joy over the judgment, while representative of the plaintiff, Mr Usman Abubakar, said they would appeal the judgment.