The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Taraba State governorship election, Aisha Alhassan, has lost her bid to become the only female governor in Nigeria.

In the ruling of an Appeal Court on Thursday, the Abdul Aboki-led five-man panel said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s decision to choose Darius Ishaku as its candidate was accepted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja ruled that Alhassan, fondly called Mama Taraba, has no locus standi to question the decision of PDP on who would be the party’s governorship candidate. INEC had announced Ishaku as winner of the April 28 election in Taraba, with Hajia Alhassan in second position.

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja had declared on November 7 that Alhassan was the duly elected governor, saying Ishaku did not emerge candidate of the PDP in a proper primary election.

But at the appeal hearing, Mr Aboki admitted the testimony of the INEC officer, who testified that the PDP primaries violated sections 85 and 87 of the electoral law, he maintained the APC had no locus standi on the matter.

•Photo shows Taraba Governor Darius Ishaku.