The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, for Zamfara, sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, granted permission to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and its candidate in the state, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi to serve the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Mukhta Shehu Idris.
The motion granted by the three-man panel on Thursday, ordered that the petitioners can serve Idris through staff at the National Secretariat of the APC located at Plot 40, Blantyre Street Wuse II, Abuja, She also ordered that the petition should be pasted on the wall of the national headquarters of APC in Abuja.
Earlier, Counsel to Shinkafi and APGA, Ifeanyi Mbaeri had asked the tribunal for an order of substituted service on APC and its candidate by delivering the petition and all processes at the APC national secretariat situated at Plot 40 Blantyre Street, Wuse 2 or by pasting the petition and all other processes at the entrance gate or any other conspicuous location.
Shinkafi prayed the tribunal to nullify the governorship elections conducted in the state on March 9 and order for fresh polls without the participation of APC and its candidate Mukhta Shehu Idris.
The plaintiff had in the petition filed by Mbaeri stated that by virtue of Section 177(c) of the 1999 constitution as amended “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of governor of a state if inter alia, he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party to contest the said election”.
Other respondents in the ex-parte motions by the two parties are: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and All Progressives Congress (APC).
No date was fixed for the next sitting of the tribunal.
