Court Upholds Baba Mallam Wali’s APC Governorship Candidacy in Yobe
The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja under the Damaturu Judicial Division, has upheld the nomination of Baba Mallam Wali as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Yobe State.
The judgment followed a pre-election suit filed by Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, who challenged Wali’s nomination.
In a statement signed by the court’s Press Secretary, Shuaibu Abdullahi, the court upheld the preliminary objection that the suit was statute-barred because it was filed outside the constitutionally prescribed period.
The court also examined the plaintiff’s allegations of over-voting but held that he failed to provide sufficient evidence to establish the claims.
It further found material contradictions and inconsistencies in the testimonies of the plaintiff’s witnesses, describing their evidence as unreliable and insufficient to support the allegations.
The court maintained that even if the suit had been filed within the stipulated time, the plaintiff would still have failed to prove his case on its merits.
The judgment therefore leaves Baba Mallam Wali’s APC governorship nomination intact, while underscoring the need for credible and convincing evidence in the determination of electoral disputes.
Court Upholds Baba Mallam Wali’s APC Governorship Candidacy in Yobe