Court disqualifies Kawu Sumaila as Rep-elect
AFederal High Court sitting in Kano has disqualified Alhaji AbdulRahman Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila from being the duly elected Member of the House of Representatives on the platform of the APC in the February 23, 2019 general elections.
The court, presided over by Justice Lewis Allagoa, also ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return it earlier presented to Sumaila and issue same to Alhaji Muhammad Shamsuddeen Bello Dambazau.
Hon. Sumaila is a former Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammad Buhari on House of Representatives Affairs.
Justice Allagoa averred that Sumaila did not participate in the APC primary election which was a prerequisite for contesting in the main election.
“The INEC should recognise Dambazau as duly elected Member of the House of Representatives representing Takai/Sumaila Federal Constituency,” Allagoa declared.
The case was a pre-election matter brought before the court by Dambazau challenging the candidacy of Sumaila in the National Assembly election.
The plaintiff, Dambazau dragged INEC, APC and Sumaila before Justice Allagoa challenging the recognition of Sumaila as the APC House of Representatives candidate for Sumaila/Takai Federal Constituency.
Dambazau, who is a son to the current Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, told the court through his Counsel, Barr. Nuraini Jimoh, that Sumaila contested for Kano South Senatorial seat alongside Sen. Kabiru Gaya and lost to the latter at the primary.
When contacted, Kawu Sumaila said he would appeal the verdict as soon as his lawyers finished studying the judgment.
He said, “Initially, I was not interested in appealing the verdict, my supporters insisted that we should appeal, and you know in politics one has to go by the opinion of his supporters. It was based on this that I directed my lawyers to study the judgement and appeal it on my behalf,” he said.