By GARBA MUHAMMAD, Kaduna

The Federal High Court sitting in Birnin Kebbi, on Monday, declared Sani Yakubu-Noma as the authentic flag-bearer of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Argungu/Augie Federal Constituency of Kebbi State.

Sani Yakubu-Noma had dragged his party, PDP, Garba Haruna-Argungu and INEC to court for illegally substituting his name with Haruna-Argungu as the flag-bearer of PDP to represent Argungu/ Augie Federal Constituency after he (Yakubu-Noma) won the primary election conducted in May.

News Express reports that Engr. Garba Haruna Argungu is the immediate past Managing Director of Kaduna Electric Distribution Company (KEDCO).

Delivering his judgement, the presiding judge, Justice Babagana Ashigar, said he has gone through all the legal argument and submissions of both counsel arising from preliminary objections raised by the first and second defendants.

He recalled that the defendant prayed the court to dismiss the suit filed by the plaintiff for not having locus standi to institute an action as well as lack of jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.

Ashigar, however, ruled that the court has the jurisdiction to entertain the case.

“In my humble views, I agreed with the legal argument and submissions made by the plaintiff counsel, Johnson Usman (SAN), so the preliminary objection raised by first and second defendants, is hereby dismissed for lack of merit,” the Judge ruled.

He further said that going by the evidence before him, it showed that the plaintiff won primary election of Argungu/Augie federal constituency as the only candidate for people's Democratic party (PDP) in the forthcoming 2023 general election.

He then gave the following orders to INEC: “To accept and recognise Sani Yakubu-Noma as the standard flag bearer of PDP having won the primary election of Argungu/Augie federal constituency; and “to also publish his name as the only candidate to contest for the seat of Argungu/Augie federal constituency in the forthcoming 2023 general election.”