Sokoto guber: Court shifts case against Tambuwal to April 13

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed April 13 to hear an application on a case challenging the candidature of Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Sokoto State.

Senator Umaru Dahiru, who was one of the governorship aspirants that contested the December 2014 primary poll, is challenging the process of Tambuwal’s emergence as the party’s candidate, seeking the court to bar the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Tambuwal’s candidature.

But at the resumption of hearing yesterday, presiding judge, Justice Evoh Chukwu, adjourned the case to April 13, to allow Tambuwal’s lawyers respond to a motion served on them by the plaintiff.

Counsel to the speaker, Sunday Ameh (SAN), requested for some time for his team to go through the processes served on them yesterday.

Speaking to journalist, Ameh said they were challenging the competence of the court to handle the matter, adding: “The process the plaintiff used in beginning this action of originating summons is not suitable for the kind of claim they have put forward in this court.

“They have made allegations of intimidation, mistreating of delegates, malpractices, and so on, but we said none of these actions or claims can begin with originating summons.”

For his part, Dahiru’s lawyer, Ikoro Ikoro, said they were challenging Tambuwal’s candidature because the exercise that saw his emergence was flawed.