By Olusegun Olanrewaju and Deborah Onyofufeke
The victory came the way double yesterday for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate as Senator Ibrahim Shakarau, representing Kano Central district, crossed from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Also, legal victory came the way of the PDP in Delta State as the Court of Appeal reinstated the candidature for the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Sherriff Oborevwori, by way of reinstatement.
While the former Kano State governor, Shekarau, dumped the ruling party for the opposition party, Oborevwori, was declared the right candidate for the governorship election in Delta State.
It was a celebration galore as Shekarau formally announced that he was decamping from the NNPP which he joined in May 2022.
Shekarau was an active member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) from 2002–2014. He was elected governor of Kano State under ANPP from 2003 to 2011 and moved to PDP in 2014.
Until 2018, Shekarau was a member of the PDP, with his exit stemming from the internal rift in the Kano chapter of the party.
He joined the APC in 2019 and went on to contest the Kano central senatorial election on the party’s platform.
A few months ago, he left the ruling party for the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), following his rift with the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje.
But just last week, Shekarau said he was done with the NNPP, alleging that Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s presidential candidate, betrayed the agreement made with him before joining the party.
PDP crisis: By the grace of God, something ‘ll happen
At the grand ceremony, Shekarau also announced that all his supporters crossed to the PDP with him, to the crowd of party faithful that included PDP presidential candidate in the coming 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, and national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
The former Kano State helmsman said at his declaration, “I welcome our dignitaries to this memorable occasion, particularly the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, Namadi Sambo, the PDP National Chairman, PDP governors, and other guests.
“I, Ibrahim Shekarau, inform you that from Monday, August 29, 2022, my supporters and I have dumped the NNPP and joined the PDP.
“I have written to the NNPP National Chairman, chairmen at the state, local governments, and ward levels of the party that I have dumped the NNPP.
“I have equally written to INEC Chairman and to the Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC that I am no longer contesting the senatorial position on the platform of the NNPP.”
Shekarau urged his supporters to work for the PDP to ensure that it emerged victorious at the 2023 general elections.
He was consequently registered into the PDP by its North-West Vice-Chairman, Senator Bello Hayatu-Gwarzo.
The party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, presented a membership card to Shekarau at the occasion.
In his remarks, Ayu said the PDP was built by leaders collectively, saying “there will never be an individual leader in the party.’’
He added that the party is proud of Kano State, more especially now that Shekarau has joined the party.
Also speaking at the occasion, Atiku thanked party supporters in Kano State for gracing the occasion despite Monday’s heavy downpour.
He noted that the turnout showed Shekarau’s prominence in Kano State’s politics.
“We are happy for having you (Shekarau) at the party; you are very important to us likewise Kano State,” Atiku said.
It had been reported at the weekend that Shekarau would be unveiled yesterday to PDP members in Kano. That was consummated yesterday.
Confusion as lecturers protest six years unpaid allowances, allege intimidation in Anambra
PDP national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, presented the membership card to Shekarau.
Present at the ceremony were Atiku’s running mate and governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, as well as his Sokoto counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal.
*Appeal Court reinstates Oborevwori as Delta PDP governorship candidate
Oborevwori was reinstated by the Court of Appeal in Abuja as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment by a three-man panel of justices led by Justice Olabisi Ige, vacated the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which held that David Edevbie should bag the party’s governorship ticket over allegations of certificate forgery and perjury.
An earlier high court judgment had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Edevbie as the rightful candidate of the PDP for the governorship election in Delta State slated for March 11, 2023.
It held that the high court wrongly relied on the originating summons Edevbie brought before it to disqualify Oborevwori on the premise that he tendered forged certificates to INEC.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Ige noted that allegations Edevbie raised against Oborevwori “were deeply rooted and founded in criminality”.
He stressed that given the contentious nature of the allegations, they ought to have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt at the trial court.
According to the appellate court, trial Judge, Taiwo Taiwo of the lower court erred when he granted all the reliefs Edevbie sought in his suit, without recourse to evidence of witnesses that would have included institutions that awarded certificates to Oborevwori.
“Facts were irreconcilably in conflict and could not have been resolved without oral evidence”, the appellate court held, adding that the burden of proof in the matter was on the 1st Respondent, Edevbie.
“There is no scintilla of evidence on record to prove that the Appellant tendered forged certificate to the INEC”, the appellate court added.
It further held that Edevbie’s legal action was premature as Oborevwori’s name had not been submitted to INEC by the PDP at the time it was filed.
The appellate court held that preconditions stipulated in sections 177 and 182 (j)of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as section 29(5) of the Electoral Act, must be met before the right of any aggrieved aspirant to approach the court to challenge the validity of particulars submitted to INEC by any candidate, could crystallise.
It held that the 1st respondent did not in the entire spectrum of his suit, pinpoint how the PDP breached either the Electoral Act or the 1999 Constitution, as amended, in the governorship primary election it conducted on May 25.
More so, the court held that if the case of the 1st Respondent succeeded, he would not be the beneficiary of the judgment as his political party, PDP, would have been disqualified.
“The decision of the lower court was perverse and it is accordingly set aside. The appellant’s appeal is hereby allowed”, the court held.
