High Court adjourns case against Sheriff’s PDP in Jigawa

Justice Sabi’u Yahuza of the Federal High Court, Dutse, yesterday, adjourned the case filed by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the PDP in Jigawa State to June 13, for hearing on applications filed by the respondents.

The Makarfi-led PDP had earlier instituted a suit against the Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission ( JISIEC), National Chairman of the PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff, state chairman of Sheriff’s faction, Ibrahim Musa Makama, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Barrister Yakubu Abdullahi Ruba, said the case was instituted to stop JISIEC from substituting the names of their candidates earlier submitted for the July 1, local government elections in the state in favour of the Sherriff faction.

In their different applications filed before the court, counsel to JISIEC challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case, arguing that JISIEC was purely a state creation and not federal.

In his application, counsel to INEC, Mustapha Abubakar, asked the court to strike out the electoral empire as one of the respondents because local government council election was strictly the business of JISIEC.

In his notice of preliminary objection, counsel to Sheriff, Barrister Musa Abdullahi Lawal, also challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case.