By Ibrahim Muhammad
The Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto Division has reserved judgment in an appeal challenging the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Zamfara North Senatorial District.
Counsel to the first respondent, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Wamban Shinkafi, Barrister Bello Galadi, disclosed this while speaking to journalists after the court proceedings.
He said the matter came up for the adoption of written briefs of arguments by the parties.
According to him, the respondents had earlier been served with the appellant’s brief of argument and subsequently filed their reply within the period stipulated by the rules of the court.
Barrister Galadi said the appellants also served the respondents with their reply on points of law, paving the way for the adoption of the respective written addresses.
He explained that he adopted the respondent’s brief of argument on behalf of his client, Sani Abdullahi Wamban Shinkafi.
The lawyer said the court subsequently adjourned the matter for judgment, adding that no specific date had been fixed as the judgment date would be communicated to the parties when ready.
The appeal followed an earlier judgment of the lower court which reportedly nullified the APC primary election conducted for the Zamfara North Senatorial District.
Barrister Galadi said the central issue before the court was whether the APC substantially complied with the rules governing the conduct of the primary election.
He recalled that the trial court held that there was a systematic infringement of the rules governing the election, leading to the nullification of the primary.
The case concerns the purported APC primary election for the Zamfara North Senatorial District conducted on May 19, 2026.
The outcome of the appeal is expected to determine the legal status of the disputed primary election and the party’s candidate for the senatorial district ahead of the 2027 general elections.
