Taraba’s government campaign continues despite the ruling of the S’Court—APC

The All Progressives Congress in Taraba state has said the campaign for governor will continue despite the Supreme Court ruling annulling the nomination of Emmanuel Bwacha, the APC gubernatorial candidate in the state.

The Taraba APC Chairman, Ibrahim El-Sudi made the announcement during a live performance on Channels Television’s Sunrise daily on Friday.

El-Sudi also said the party has accepted that no primaries have been held in the state since the court declared this, adding that “we cannot say otherwise. That is the position of the Supreme Court and we are bound by it.”

Bwacha, who said the decision of the apex court does not hinder the party, explained: “The decision of the Supreme Court does not hold back anything because it is an individual’s right to go to court and they have exhausted it. And the Supreme Court has now ordered new primaries.

“As far as litigation is concerned, we are of course not in control; it is an individual’s right to go to court. It is his right to buy and then contest forms. The constitution also gives him the right to go to court and we have no control over that.

“There will be a level playing field. And of course I’m not the person to run the new primaries.

“It is the National Secretariat that appoints individuals to hold such new primaries. All I have to do is provide them with a conducive environment where they can work smoothly and then come out with a result,” he added.

The PUNCH reported on Wednesday that the Supreme Court has annulled the nomination of Bwacha, the APC gubernatorial candidate in Taraba state, following a verdict of a five-member panel headed by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and affirmed the verdict of the Federal Supreme Court which ruled that the APC did not conduct valid primaries for governor in the state, the cable reports.

The PUNCH reports that in September 2022, the Jalingo Federal Court annulled the primary elections for governor that produced Bwacha as an APC candidate.

The court also ordered Bwacha to stop promoting itself as a candidate for governor of the APC, as well as INEC to stop recognizing Bwacha as a candidate.