Son of the former head of state, late Gen Sani Abacha, Mohammed Abacha, has said his nomination as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kano State for the 2023 election remains valid and lawful.
Mohammed, scored 736 in the party's primary to beat eight other aspirants in the primary election. But after emerging as the winner, the PDP failed to forward his name as the candidate of the party for the election.
In a counter-affidavit to a suit filed by one of the aspirants that contested the primary election, Ja'afar Sani Bello, challenging his eligibility to contest the election on the ground that he is not a member of the party, Mohammed told a Federal High Court in Kano, that he is a bona fide member of the party.
Ja'afar, had in the suit told the court to disqualify Mohammed from contesting the election for not being a member of the party.
But in his response to the suit, Mohammed, through his team of lawyers which include Dr. J. Y. Musa, SAN, and Dr. Reuben Atabo (SAN) told the court that his membership card of the party was duly signed by the party chairman.
Mohammed in the counter-affidavit he was deposed to said, "That I am a registered member of the Peoples Democratic Party.
"That contrary to paragraph 20 of the Plaintiff's affidavit in support of the Originating Summons, that as at the time this suit was filed, the 2nd Defendant (PDP) had not and still has not forwarded the name of the 1st Defendant (Mohammed) to the 3rd Defendant neither has the 3rd Defendant (INEC) published the name of the 1st Defendant.
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"That contrary to paragraph 21 of the Plaintiff's affidavit in support of the Originating Summons, the 1st Defendant is a bona-fide member of the 2nd Defendant and was the winner of the PDP primary election in Kano State.
"That contrary to paragraph 29 of the Plaintiff's Affidavit in support of the originating summons, I am qualified to contest the 2nd Defendant's primaries for the selection of the gubernatorial candidates of the PDP In Kano State, for the 2023 general elections which was held on the 25 May, 2022."
"That on the 14th day of April, 2022, | paid the sum of N21,500,000.00 (Twenty-One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) only for the Governorship Nomination Form of the 1st Defendant, Expression of Interest Form and handling charge and was issued three separate receipts thus: (i) | Governorship Nomination Form N20,000,000.00 (ii) Expression of Interest Form N1,000,000."
The case has been fixed for September 12, 2023.
