Kabir-Yusuf: I remain Kano PDP governorship candidate despite court ruling

Abba Kabir-Yusuf, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Kano State, says he remains the party’s flag bearer in spite of the court ruling that nullified the PDP governorship primary.
Kabir-Yusuf made the claim in a statement by his spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, issued to newsmen in Kano on Monday.
He said: “The court ruling today (Monday) does not in any way affect the candidature of Abba Kabir-Yusuf as the case is against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which we believe that the party has taken the most appropriate action of appeal.
“As far as we are concerned, our campaign activities will continue till Thursday night, March 8 when the deadline of campaigns will elapse as contained in the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.”
According to him, the case had nothing to do with him as the party flag bearer, but an internal issue the party had taken step to resolve.
The governorship candidate urged his teeming supporters to remain calm and continue with the electioneering campaigns to ensure victory for the party on Saturday.
A Federal High Court in Kano nullified the governorship primary election conducted which produced Abba Kabir-Yusuf.
The cancellation of the primary election followed the suit filed before the court by one of the governorship aspirants, Alhaji Ibrahim Ali-Amin, who challenged the legitimacy of the process which produced Kabir-Yusuf  as candidate.
Al-Amin alleged that the PDP during the primary election “sidelined and booted him out” of the race.
Delivering a ruling, Justice Lewis Alagua, nullified the election on the premise that the party had no incontrovertible reason to deny the plaintiff participating in the primary election because he formally brought his expression and nomination form.
Alagua also held that denying the plaintiff the right to participate in the primary election, contravened the provision of the Electoral Act.
He ordered for a valid fresh primary election before the forthcoming governorship election on March 9 in the country.
Earlier, the plaintiff, Ali-Amin, prayed the court to nullify the election on the ground that it was grossly flawed, given the manner he had been sidelined with no justifiable reasons to legitimize such an act.
He said he was blatantly denied participation in the primary election, in spite of the fact that he had brought his expression and nomination form.
It was, however, the contention of the plaintiff that there was also the need for the court to interpret whether the party could go ahead to field a candidate for the election in Kano State without conducting the primary election or not.
In his submission, counsel to the plaintiff, Kabir Usman said the judgement effected had become legally expedient, since his client had been denied the right to contest the election.
He said with the cancellation of the primary election, the governorship slot is now vacant, pending when a fresh and valid primary election is held.
In his remarks, counsel to PDP, Bashir Yusuf said the verdict did not affect Abba Kabir-Yusuf as a candidate but PDP as a party pointing out they would appeal against the judgement.