Nura Audu, Deputy Campaign Coordinator and Yobe North Zonal Social Media officer for Bashir Machina’s campaign, described the Supreme Court judgment that recognized Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the authentic senatorial candidate for the zone as “devastating” for anyone committed to justice and fairness. A staunch supporter of Machina, Audu called the ruling “unprecedented and unfortunate” in Nigeria’s political history. Speaking exclusively with The over the phone, he said, “The Supreme Court judgment was a daylight robbery and very unfortunate in the political history of Nigeria.” He added that tension is high, noting that “Ahmed Lawan neither obtained nor filled the senatorial aspiration form nor contested in the primaries.” When asked about the next steps, Audu replied, “As Muslims, we believe in destiny; we will wait for what our leader says before knowing what to do.” Although he was present in court when the judgment was delivered, Audu insisted that Machina’s supporters would not abandon him.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan, however, hailed the apex court’s decision as a victory for democracy ahead of the February 25 polls. Speaking to journalists at the Senate Guest House in Maitama, he thanked God and praised the APC leadership for taking the case to the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal had recognized Bashir Machina as the party’s senatorial candidate. “This is a significant victory for the APC in Yobe and the APC in general across the country,” Lawan said, adding gratitude to his party for fighting “tooth and nail” for his win.
The Supreme Court’s majority—three of five judges—agreed with the APC that the trial‑court suit should not have been commenced via an originating summons because it contained allegations of fraud. Justice Centus Nweze faulted Machina’s approach, noting that the plaintiff accused the APC of fraudulently substituting his name with Lawan’s and that such allegations required witness testimony rather than an originating summons. Consequently, the Court set aside the Gombe Division Court of Appeal’s decision, which had affirmed the trial court’s ruling that Machina was the senatorial candidate for Yobe North.
In a dissenting opinion, Justices Emmanuel Agim and Adamu Jauro observed that Lawan never participated in the APC primary, having withdrawn voluntarily to contest the presidential primary on June 8, 2022.
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