By; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
The Court of Appeal, Gombe Judicial Division holden at Gombe on Monday, declared Barrister Mohammed Umar Kumalia as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) authentic and legitimate 2023 candidate for Borno Central Senatorial’ election come February 25, 2023.
Similarly, Court of Appeal Abuja Judicial Division FCT Abuja on Monday, set aside appeal against the decision of the lower court being the Federal High Court Abuja Judicial Division delivered on September 20, 2022, declaring Barrister Mohammed Umar Kumalia as the legitimate PDP Senatorial’ Candidate for Borno Central.
Addressing journalists in Maiduguri on Monday evening and displaying photocopies of the two judgments from Gombe and Abuja respectively, Barrister Kumalia added that,’ “as the Abuja judgment was coming out in my favour where Tatabe appealed against Abuja Federal High Court ruling that I am the legitimate Candidate of Borno Central senatorial 2023 election’.
”I won the appeal filed against the APC Candidate for the Borno Central, Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan in Gombe, where the Federal High Court Maiduguri Judicial Division asked INEC to set aside my name as PDP candidate and also stop me from parading as the PDP 2023 Senatorial candidate for Borno Central.
”’My appeal against the candidate and the party where the judgment of the Appeal Court said the APC and the 2023 Borno Central APC Senatorial candidate, Barrister Kakq Shehu Lawan has no business with my party and candidacy.
”My candidacy is a personal matter and within my party, PDP not their party, APC which they don’t have business with. So, the appeal Court quashed the judgment of the Federal High Court Maiduguri which had earlier asked INEC to set aside my name as PDP candidate for the Borno Central Senatorial election.
”’That means, I am the authentic and legitimate candidate of PDP Borno Central Senatorial seat in the forthcoming February 2023 election. Because since September 20, 2022 my name was with INEC up to; to January 21, 2023, before they asked the Federal High Court Maiduguri to tell INEC to remove or set aside my name as PDP Senatorial candidate.
”Now it is over. The court has set aside all the suits filed by both the APC Senatorial candidate, Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan in Maiduguri and Hon. Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe at Federal High Court, FCT Abuja which both judgments came out today Monday just about five days to the election.
”So, I call on you people here to tell the world that I am the authentic and legitimate candidate for the PDP Borno Central Senatorial election on 25th February 2023 based on the two judgments which equally have set aside the two cases that were appealed in Abuja and Gombe respectively,” Kumalia said.
The 2023 PDP Senatorial Candidate further explained that already he has been on campaign across the eight local government areas of the Borno Central Senatorial district, since about three months ago, even when Tatabe dragged him to court.
He said he has never stopped campaigning, including the women wing of the PDP has been on campaigns mobilizing women for him and other candidates since about 50 Days ago, while the youth wing have been going round for long, campaigning for him.
”I have contested several elective positions and won some and failed some. And by the grace of God, I am going win this election. In sha Allah I will win the election,” Kumalia said.
