Sokoto Guber: Court to Determine Tambuwal's Fate May 26
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, reserved ruling till May 26, 2015 on the suit challenging the emergence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State.
Alhaji Tambuwal, who contested the April 11, governorship election, had emerged winner. Consequently, he was returned by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) even when the case is pending.
When the matter came up yesterday, Tambuwal, who is now Sokoto state governor-elect, told the court, through his counsel, Jibril Okutepa (SAN) that the suit filed by Senator Umaru Dahiru, challenging his candidacy as APC governorship candidate in Sokoto, has become an academic exercise and that the court should decline jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter.
According to Okutepa, in paragraphs 2.40, page 7 of the plaintiffs’ written address, it was stated that reliefs E to G, which would have conferred utility value on the plaintiffs are no longer tenable due to affiliation of time and occurrence of events.
He said, “The suit has become academic and when a court lacks jurisdiction to entertain a matter, it does not have the inherent jurisdiction to give life to the matter.
“I want the court to hold that the suit has become academic and should decline jurisdiction. Let the plaintiffs wait till 2019 to try their luck”, Okutepa argued.
Counsel to the 2nd defendant (APC) in the suit, Sunday Ibrahim Ameh (SAN), aligned himself with Okutepa’s submission and adopted the written submissions of the 1st defendant in the matter and added however that relief A to D of the plaintiffs seek only constitutional interpretation.
He said any declaration by the court will have no constitutional or electoral significant to the parties before the court because election had already been held and a winner had emerged.
