The Supreme Court will on December 9, 2016 deliver judgment in a legal action challenging the propriety of nomination of Governor Aminu Tambuwal by the All Progressive Congress, APC, for the 2015 gubernatorial election in Sokoto State.
Justice Bode Rhodes Vivour who presided over a session of the court in the matter fixed December 9 date after submissions by various parties in the appeal.
Of special interest to the apex court, which it has to determine is the issue of swapping of delegates list at the primary election of the APC said to have been conducted on December 4, 2014 at Giginya Stadium in Sokoto.
The apex court will among others, determine whether Tambuwal was nominated in compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 and the APC 2014 guidelines for the nomination of candidates for elective offices.
Two appellants Alhaji Umaru Dahiru and Barrister Aliyu Abubakar Sanyinna who were governorship aspirants on the APC Platform in the 2015 general election filed the appeal.
In their brief of arguments filed by Professor Awa Kalu SAN, the two appellants pleaded with the apex court to reverse the decision of the Court of Appeal which held that their suit had become academic exercise by virtue of the election of Tambuwal in the April 11, 2015 governorship poll.
Respondents in the appeal are the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
However, counsel to Tambuwal Mr. Sunday Ibrahim Ameh SAN stood his ground that the reliefs sought by the appellants at the Federal High Court have been overtaken by the general election and the declaration of Tambuwal as winner of the April 11, 2015 election.
The counsel urged the court to dismiss the appeal on the ground that it had become pure academic issue without any live.
In his own argument, Mr. Jibrin Okutepa SAN, who stood for APC aligned himself with the third respondent’s submission.
