Anxiety in Zamfara as S’Court Rules on APC’s Application Friday

By Kazeem Bisiriyu

Anxiety has gripped members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State as the Supreme Court friday rules on the APC’s application asking the apex court to set aside the consequential order that made the PDP the beneficiary of all elective positions in the 2019 general election in the state.

A five-man panel led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, had on March 17 reserved judgment in the case till a date that will be communicated to that parties shortly after lawyers representing parties in the matter adopted their briefs of argument.

However, a short message from the Director, Information, Supreme Court, Dr. Festus Akande, to journalists said the apex court would deliver its ruling in the appeal Friday.

The ruling of the apex court is coming barely few days after the apex court suspended sitting indefinitely over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The apex court in a circular dated March 23, 2020 and signed by the Chief Registrar of the court, Mrs. Hadizatu Mustapha, had announced a temporary suspension of court sitting in response to directives on curtailing the spread of the pandemic.

The statement, however, said the court would only convene to deliver judgments and rulings in matters adjourned for such.

However, as the court delivers its ruling in the Zamfara judgment review request, politicians and other Nigerians are anxious to know if the apex court will stick to its tradition of finality on issues already settled or deviate from it.

The apex court had declined to set aside two previous judgments involving the removal of Imo State Governor, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, of PDP and that of the then Governor-elect of Bayelsa State, Senator David Lyon of APC.

While arguing the application for setting aside of the consequential order that barred its clients from the 2019 general election, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN) had informed the panel that the order was made out of jurisdiction.