Senate president Ahmed Lawan has had the last laugh in his battle with Bashir Machina for the Yobe North All Progressives Congress senatorial ticket. The Supreme Court Monday ruled that Lawan is the authentic candidate of the APC. The Federal High Court Damaturu and the Court of Appeal in Abuja had given judgement to Machina. In the lead judgement, Justice Centus Nweze faulted the approach of Bashir Machina in commencing the suit at the Federal High Court Damaturu division through originating summons and without oral evidence to prove allegations of fraud. The Senate president did not take part in the Yobe senatorial primary as he was in Abuja vying for the APC presidential ticket, which Bola Ahmed Tinubu won. Machina, who won the primary, had resisted pressure to step down for Lawan and headed for the court to seek justice.
Speaking on the judgement Lawan said: “Let me start by thanking God for his blessing and for what had happened today in the Supreme Court. “The judgement on Yobe North particularly is a victory for APC in Yobe and generally the APC across the country. “What happened was democracy at work and the courts gave their various judgements and of course the Supreme Court gave the final judgement. “I want to, at this point, commend the Supreme Court and of course the judiciary generally for making this kind of judgement to strengthen our democracy because it is not only for politicians to work and strengthen democracy, it is all of us and all the institutions have their roles to play. So I commend them.”
