The Supreme Court on Friday sacked David Umoru, senator representing Niger-East from the senate.
The apex court took the decision after dismissing an appeal by Umoru to affirm him as the senator-elect of Niger East senatorial district.
The court in a unanimous judgement led by Ibrahim Muhammad held that Mr Umaru, who was elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) was not validly nominated by the party.
The court affirmed further that it was satisfied that the appellant, Mohammed Sani, was the rightful winner of the primary election APC conducted for the senatorial district.
Consequent upon that judgment, the Supreme Court has restored the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which declared Sani as the validly nominated candidate of the APC for the election.
In the same vein, the apex court has equally set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which on April 8 affirmed Umaru as the winner of the Senatorial seat.
The apex court has since ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to, without delay, issue a certificate of return to Sani as the Senator representing Niger East.
An Abuja division of the Federal High Court presided by Folashade Ogunbanjo, had in a judgement on February 7 said that it was satisfied that Umaru was not genuinely nominated by the APC.
The court declared Sani as the authentic winner of the primary election the party conducted on October 2, 2018.
Umaru thereafter went on an appeal, where he insisted that the lower court erred in law when it wrongly assumed jurisdiction over the matter.
He said Sani’s suit was not filed within 14 days in pursuant to the fourth alteration of the 1999 constitution after APC forwarded his name to INEC.
A Court of Appeal panel led by Stephen Adah later vacated the high court judgment in a unanimous decision.
The appellant court said that the trial court was wrong to have entertained the suit which had become status barred by virtue of section 285(9) of the fourth alteration Act of the 1999 constitution.
