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Tag: Bashir Machina

  • Senate President, Lawan reacts to Supreme Court judgment

    Senate President, Lawan reacts to Supreme Court judgment

    Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has described the Supreme Court’s judgement affirming him as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Yobe North Senatorial as a victory for the party.

    He stated this while briefing newsmen on Monday in Abuja after the judgment was delivered by Justice Centus Nweze of the apex court.

    Lawan while thanking God for the victory, said: “Let me start by thanking God for his blessing and of course, what had happened today in the Supreme Court.

    “The judgement on Yobe North particularly, is a victory for APC in Yobe and generally APC across the country.

    “What happened was democracy at work and the courts gave their various judgements and of course the supreme court gave the final judgement.

    “I want to at this point, commend the supreme court and of course, the judiciary generally for making this kind of judgment to strengthen our democracy.

    “This is because it is not only for politicians to work and strengthen democracy it is all of us and all the institutions have their roles to play. So I commend them.”

    He further thanked the APC for “taking this matter to the supreme court.

    “So today, it is a victory for all of us involved. I am the symbol but the victory is for our party the APC and for democracy.”

    Lawan also thanked his colleagues in the Senate for the support, love and for the partnership.

    He said: “I want to recommit myself that i will lead well.

    “We will always be appreciative of our colleagues who gave us the mandate to lead the ninth National Assembly.

    “We will be looking at Feb. 25 when the Presidential and the National Assembly elections will take place.

    “By the Grace of God, Nigerians will vote APC once again. On the 25th, the Presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu will be voted in as President of Nigeria by the grace of God along side Sen. Kashim Shettima who is the Vice Presidential candidate.

    “When it comes to the senatorial and House of Representatives, you know what it will be. It will be a landslide majority for the APC and the same thing for the House of Representatives.”

    The supreme court on Monday affirmed Lawan, APC senatorial candidate for Yobe North.

    In a majority judgment delivered by Justice Centus Nweze, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Bashir Machina’s candidature.

    Recall that Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen, who presided over a three-member panel of the appellate court, gave the affirmation in an appeal by the APC challenging the decision of Justice Fadimatu Aminu of the Federal High Court Damaturu.

    Justice Aminu of the Federal High Court had on Sept.  28, 2022, declared Machina as winner of the primary election organised by the party on May 28, 2022.

    However, having lost the APC presidential primary to Bola Tinubu, the party opted for Lawan to replace Machina.

    But Machina insisted that he would not withdraw for the Senate President.

    In the face of the controversy, the APC submitted the Senate President’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its senatorial candidate for Yobe North.

    Not satisfied with the decision of his party, Machina headed to court to seek redress.

    Specifically, Machina in his suit, asked the court to declare him as the validly elected senatorial candidate of the APC for Yobe north Senatorial District.

    Justice Aminu had nullified the parallel primary election that produced Lawan on June 9, 2022, insisting that the National Working Committee of the APC conducted a valid primary election on May 28, which was won by Bashir Machina.

    Consequently, the trial judge ordered the APC to forward the name of Machina to INEC as the authentic winner of the primary election for Yobe North.

  • Supreme Court Justices divided over ruling on Yobe North Senatorial seat

    Supreme Court Justices divided over ruling on Yobe North Senatorial seat

    The supreme court on Monday affirmed Ahmed Lawan, senate president, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Yobe north.

    In a majority judgment delivered by Justice Centus Nweze, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Bashir Machina’s candidature.

    The lead majority judgment of three justices against two, set aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal Abuja Division, which had on November 28, 2022, affirmed Bashir Sherrif Machina as the authentic APC senatorial candidate for Yobe North in the forthcoming general elections.

    However, Justices Adamu Jauro and Emma Agim disagreed with the lead decision and consequently entered a dissent judgment, by dismissing the appeal of APC and affirming the concurrent findings of fact of the trial and appellate courts.

    Recall that Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen, who presided over a 3-man panel of the appellate court, gave the affirmation in an appeal by the APC (appellant) challenging the decision of Justice Fadimatu Aminu of the Federal High Court Damaturu, which had on September 28, 2022, declared Bashir Sherriff.

    Machina as winner of the primary election organised by the party on May 28, 2022.

    However, having lost the APC presidential primary to Bola Tinubu, the party opted for Senate President Ahmed Lawan to replace Machina. But Machina insisted that he would not withdraw for the Senate President.

    In the face of the controversy, the APC submitted the Senate President’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as its senatorial candidate for Yobe North.

    Not satisfied with the decision of his party, Machina headed to court to seek redress.

    Specifically, Machina in his suit, asked the court to declare him as the validly elected senatorial candidate of the APC for Yobe North Senatorial District.

    Justice Aminu had nullified the parallel primary election that produced Lawan on June 9, 2022, insisting that the National Working Committee of the APC conducted a valid primary election on May 28, which was won by Bashir Sheriff Machina.

    Consequently, the trial judge ordered the APC to forward the name of Machina to INEC as the authentic winner of the primary election for Yobe North.

  • BREAKING: Supreme Court affirms Ahmad Lawan Senatorial candidate for Yobe North

    BREAKING: Supreme Court affirms Ahmad Lawan Senatorial candidate for Yobe North

    The Supreme Court has affirmed Senator Ahmad Lawan as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District election.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Supreme Court affirmed Senator Lawan as the APC Yobe North candidate on Monday.

    In a majority judgment, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Bashir Machina’s candidature.

    The APC challenged the nomination of Machina as the party’s candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.

    The party insisted that Lawan, Nigeria’s Senate President, was the authentic Senatorial candidate for Yobe North for the forthcoming general election.

    At the last hearing of the appeal, counsel for APC, Sepiribo Peters argued that the primary election held on 28 May 2022, which produced Machina was in breach of the Electoral Act 2022.

    Peters contended that one Danjuma Manga who conducted the said primary election was not nominated by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

    He told the court that the APC cancelled the primary poll on account of the irregularities observed during the exercise.

    He argued that the other primary held on 9 June was conducted by the APC NWC, and produced Lawan as the party’s authentic candidate.

    However, Machina’s lawyer, Sarafa Yusuf prayed the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit on the ground that the Senate President did not challenge the suits at both the trial and lower courts.

    He also pointed that Manga who conducted the primary election where Machina emerged, was a member of the NWC-appointed Committee to carryout the exercise.

    The APC had approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja seeking to nullify the judgment of lower court that declared Machina as APC’s candidate for Yobe North, but the President of the Court, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem led the panel held that the appeal was an abuse of court.

     

    Details shortly…

  • Yobe North ticket: Supreme Court set date to decide Ahmad Lawan’s fate

    Yobe North ticket: Supreme Court set date to decide Ahmad Lawan’s fate

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed February 6th to deliver judgment in the long-drawn legal battle over the authenticity of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe North Senatorial District.

    Entangled in the legal battle for the Senatorial ticket are the incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and Bashir Machina.

    The Apex Court fixed the date after taking arguments from counsel for APC and Machina.

    Justice Centus Nweze who presided over a five-member panel of Justices of the Court fixed the date.

    APC which is routing for Lawan as its Senatorial candidate filed the appeal against the judgments of the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal which held Bashir Machina as the party’s candidate.

    In its arguments presented by Sepiribo Peters, APC claimed that the primary election conducted on May 27, 2022, which produced Machina, is unknown to law because unlawful people conducted it.

    He claimed that another primary election conducted on June 6 which produced Lawan is the authentic election of the party.

    However, Mr Sarafa Yusuff, counsel to Machina asked the Apex Court to dismiss the APC’S appeal for being frivolous and baseless.

    He informed the court that Danjuma Manga Committee was set up by the APC to conduct the primary election on behalf of the National Working Committee of APC.

    Yusuff drew the court’s attention to an affidavit deposed to by Danjuma Manga to the effect that he was mandated along with five others by the APC National Secretariat to conduct the Senatorial primary elections in Yobe.

    The counsel argued that until now, the affidavit of the said Danjuma Manga had not been disputed or denied by the APC and subsequently urged the court to affirm Bashir Sheriff Machina as the authentic Senatorial candidate of APC for Yobe North Senatorial District.

    Recall that the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed Machina as the authentic candidate of the APC for Yobe North Senatorial District.

    The court upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe, which held that Lawan was not the APC candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District in the 2023 elections.

    Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen, who presided over a three-man panel, gave the affirmation in an appeal by Lawan, challenging the decision of Justice Fadimatu Aminu of the Federal High Court Damaturu, which had on Sept. 28, 2022, declared Machina as the winner of the primary election organised by the APC in May 2022, while Lawan opted to contest the presidential primary election organised by the APC on June 9.

    The Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu had in September ordered the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Machina as Yobe North senatorial candidate of the party.

  • 2023: Ahmad Lawan’s bid to return to Senate hits rock bottom again

    2023: Ahmad Lawan’s bid to return to Senate hits rock bottom again

    The bid by Senate President Ahmad Lawan to retain his senatorial seat in the upper legislative chamber has hit rock bottom again.

    This is after the Court of Appeal on Monday affirmed Bashir Machina as the authentic All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Yobe North.

    The appellate court, in a judgment that was delivered by a three-member panel led by President of the Court, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen, dismissed Lawan’s appeal as lacking in merit.

    Senator Lawan filed an appeal challenging the decision of Justice Fadimatu Aminu of the Federal High Court Damaturu.

    Aminu had on Sept. 28, 2022, declared Machina as winner of the primary election organised by the APC in May 2022, while Lawan opted to contest for the presidential primary election organised by the APC in June.

    Aminu nullified the parallel primary election that produced Lawan on June 9, 2022.

    Consequently, the trial judge ordered the APC to forward the name of Machina to INEC as the authentic winner of the primary held in May.

    Lawan, had  picked the presidential form of the APC and participated in the primary election that was won by Sen.  Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

    Meanwhile,  Machina contested and won his bid to takeover as candidate of the party for the senatorial contest.

    However, Machina was asked to step down for Lawan but he insisted that he would not withdraw for the Senate President.

    In the face of the controversy, the APC submitted the Senate President’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as its senatorial candidate for Yobe North.

    Aggrieved by the development, Machina  headed to court to seek redress.

    Machina in his suit prayed the court to declare him as the valid elected senatorial candidate of the APC for the 2023 election.

  • Senate President finally concedes defeat to Machina

    Senate President finally concedes defeat to Machina

    The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, has finally accepted defeat to Bashir Sheriff Machina who was affirmed by a court as the rightful APC candidate for Yobe North senatorial district in the 2023 elections,

    APC’s primaries in June produced Machina at a time Ahmed Lawan was busy with his presidential aspirations against the likes of eventual candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    However, the senate president, Rotimi Amaechi, Governors Yahaya Bello, Dave Umahi and other aspirants including the Vice President, Professor Osinbajo lost to Tinubu.

    Lawan would later return to claim his Yobe North ticket which was earlier won by Machina. This did not sit well with the latter and that forced him to drag Lawan to court.

    A Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe State, on Wednesday, passed a judgment in favour of Machina following series of proceedings.

    Accepting the court’s ruling, Lawan in a Twitter post said he has accepted the judgment in good faith and will not further appeal the case.

    Read the tweet below:??

    https://twitter.com/DrAhmadLawan/status/1575450611436457987?t=O02N_job2ZXaA1lpR8T-8Q&s=19

    “After due consultations with my political associates, supporters and well-wishers, I have decided not to appeal against the judgement. I accept the judgement.

    “At this juncture, I deem it appropriate to thank His Excellency, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam for the leadership role in the APC political family in Yobe State. I also thank His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni for the support and brotherhood,” Lawan tweeted, thanking his constituents for the opportunity given to serve them in the Red Chamber.

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    “To my constituents, I thank you all for your unflinching support, loyalty and unreserved commitment to the course of building our people and Yobe North Senatorial District and indeed Yobe State.

    “I want to assure you that I will continue to serve you in my personal and any other capacity at all times.

    “We journeyed together for a long time, and this journey will remain a lifelong journey. It has been a wonderful relationship and it can only get stronger. I am indebted to you all. Alhamdulillah,” he added.

  • BREAKING: Machina floors Ahmad Lawan in court for Yobe North senatorial ticket

    BREAKING: Machina floors Ahmad Lawan in court for Yobe North senatorial ticket

    The Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu has ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Bashir Machina as the candidate for Yobe North senatorial candidate.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Fadimatu Aminu, also directed the APC to submit Machina’s name to the INEC as the rightful winner of the party’s May 28 primary election in the district.

    She held that the ”phantom June 9 primary election” that produced Ahmed Lawan, the Senate President, as the winner and candidate, was a “nullity” because INEC did not monitor the election.

    Aminu also discountenanced the claim that the case was statue bar, saying the cause of action arose on June 17, not May 28.

    The judge said Machina, the plaintiff, approached the court when he discovered that the first defendant, APC, had forwarded Lawan’s name to INEC as its candidate.

    She, therefore, said the constitutional requirement of filing the case not later than 14 days from the election was not applicable.

    On June 22, Machina instituted the case, seeking an order to compel APC to declare him as the candidate of the District and send his name to INEC for publication.

    He told the court that he won the May 28 primary election unopposed, declared winner by INEC and his certificate of return was duly issued to him.

  • Senate President’s hope of staying in NASS remains in the balance

    Senate President’s hope of staying in NASS remains in the balance

    The hope of Senator Ahmad Lawan, President of the Nigerian Senate, staying in the National Assembly (NASS) going into the 2023 elections remains in the balance.

    This is as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its stand on the report of its team that monitored the Yobe North Senatorial District primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Bashir Machina won the APC primary election for the district and has refused to step down for Lawan, who contested the APC presidential ticket.

    INEC in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye in Abuja on Thursday stated thus: ”The attention of INEC has been drawn to a counter affidavit filed in the Federal High Court, Damaturu Judicial Division relating to the primary election.

    “Notwithstanding the matter in court and without prejudice to the consideration or likely outcome of the case in court, the commission reiterates its earlier position that it stands by the report of its monitoring team. It was on the basis of that report that the commission did not publish the name and personal particulars of any candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District”.

    Okoye said that INEC would review its quality assurance protocols, as well as ensure the preview by appropriate ranking officials of all processes filed on its behalf. This according to Okoye was to ascertain their correctness in all material particulars with all reports and all information at its disposal before their presentation so that the situation would not be repeated.

  • 2023: Bashir Machina denies withdrawing for Ahmad Lawan

    2023: Bashir Machina denies withdrawing for Ahmad Lawan

    Alhaji Bashir Machina, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District at the 2023 election has denied stepping down for Senate President, Sen. Ahmed Lawan.

    Reacting to claims that he had stepped down for Lawan, the candidate stated on Sunday in Damaturu that it was also not true that he had defected from the APC.

    “It has been brought to my notice that some unscrupulous elements forged a letter of my withdrawal from the race out of mischief and blackmail.

    “I state unequivocally that the letter was forged. I did not at any time withdraw or resign from the APC.

    “I was shocked when I discovered that some persons concocted plans to mislead the public particularly my supporters into believing that I have withdrawn,’’ he stated.

    The candidate called on the national secretariat of the APC to issue a statement on the forged letter which carried its official stamp.

    Machina stated also that he had instructed his lawyers to institute legal action against those behind the fake letter of his withdrawal from the race.

  • I will never step down for Lawan – Yobe senatorial candidate, Machina

    The All Progressives Congress  APC  Yobe North  senatorial candidate, Bashir Machina has insisted that he would never step down for current senate president Ahmad Lawan.

    Machina further revealed that Ahmad Lawan does not nurse the ambition to return to the senate after contesting the party’s presidential primary election.

    Machina, who insisted on not giving the ticket to Lawan, stated the senator would not have contested the party’s presidential primary if he had the ambition of returning to the Senate.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Lawan contested  APC’s presidential ticket and lost to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed at the primary by finishing in fourth position.

    However, there are insinuations flying around that Lawan is now seeking a transfer of the senatorial ticket secured by Machina to him to return to the Senate.

    Machina made this statement when he appeared on a current affairs programme on a Lagos based platform Channels TV on Wednesday evening.

    Machina revealed that the matter is a mere speculation that will not see the light of the day.

    “The pressure is more or less speculative. There wasn’t any clear-cut person or message directly that says I should step down but from the headquarters of my party (APC), recently I was informed that if I was still in the race, I should write formally to inform the party that I am.”

    He confirmed  that the letter that trended online was his response to the request from an unnamed caller from the national headquarters of the APC.

    “I formally wrote a letter to the party, reiterating and affirming my position, that I am still the candidate; that I did not withdraw, and I am not withdrawing, and I’m in the race in the event that anybody is contemplating or doubting that there is any move,” he said.

    When asked if the party’s leadership  ask him to step down for Lawan, Machina said, he wouldn’t.

    “No, I won’t step down because Ahmad Lawan did not contest for the Senate. Of course, it is a known fact that Ahmad Lawan contested for president and lost. And when I contested for Senate, Lawan did not participate (in the primary) or did not contest (for Senate). So, I don’t think that may be in any way an issue.”

    Asked if he would step down if president Buhari begs him to do so, he replied that APC would not repeat the undemocratic tendencies in other parties for which the ruling party was created to end.

    Machina further revealed that he’s got experience than Lawan by legislative ranking, saying that he joined the National Assembly long before Lawan.

    ” I was in the House of Representatives in the defunct Third Republic while Lawan joined the National Assembly in the Fourth Republic thus making me a senior to him”