A House of Assembly aspirant who claimed to have won the primary election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Atose Mohammed Mu’azu has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) for substituting his name for another aspirant, Hon Adamu Mohammed Omadefu.
The case will be heard on Wednesday August 3rd, 2022 with case file number FHC/LAF/CS/16/2022.
The contention is over who is the rightful candidate of the APC to contest in the general election to represent Keana state constituency in Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA).
According to the APC result sheet for the 2022 NSHA primary election signed by Chairman electoral committee, Barrister Mustapha Iliyasu, and Secretary, Cecilia Itodo, when the election was conducted on 27th May, 2022 in Keana, the result sheet shows that Hon. Atose Mohammed Muazu who is the plaintiff has polled 46 votes out of 50.
The other aspirants didn’t score a single vote, they are: Adamu Mohammed Omadefu, Onawani Ibrahim Abubakar and Francis Shinku Akie.
The four votes that were invalid was due to disparity in their names on the list and on their means of identification card.
According to the Director-General of Hon. Atose Mohammed Campaign Organisation, Engr. Musa Barde, that Hon. Atose contested the primary election conducted for Keana Constituency of the NSHA held on 27th day of May, 2022. The said primary election was peaceful and same was duly supervised by INEC, DSS, Police, Civil Defence and Immigration officers.
According to the DG “At the end of the said primary election, Hon. Atose scored 46 votes to emerge winner of the primary election and defeated the other three aspirants, including Hon. Adamu Omadefu whose name has been miraculously forwarded to INEC by the Party.
“Hon. Atose is in court as a law abiding citizen and member of the APC seeking to be declared the lawful winner, who has been illegally replaced by the APC.” The DG added
Atose Mohammed Muazu is seeking an injunction prohibiting the 3rd defendant (Omadefu) from holding himself out as the candidate of the APC for Keana legislative constituency for the NSHA in the forthcoming General election scheduled for March, 2023.
