Justice Muhammed Yunusa,n of the Federal High Court, Kano, on Monday, affirmed the nomination of Bashir Ishaq Bashir as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the state.

Ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and list his name alongside with Auwalu Abdullahi, his running mate, and put them on the ballot for the election to be held in March, the court held that the duo had fulfilled all the legal requirements prescribed under the constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.

Bashir, had prayed the court to order the electoral commission to accept and deem the hard copy of his form EC9 (affidavit in support of particulars of persons seeking election to elective offices) as legal and sufficient to satisfy the requirements of Section 29 (2) of the Electoral Act of 2022.

While arguing that the commission could not disqualify him since he had properly submitted his name and had won the LP primary election held in October 2022 following the voluntary withdrawal of the placeholder, Muhammad Abdullahi, he also prayed the court to direct INEC to publish his name forthwith as the valid candidate of the Labour Party ahead of the March 11 governorship election.

Agreeing with him, Yunusa held that he and his running mate complied with the requirements of the Electoral Act, saying: “The plaintiff, having fulfilled all the legal requirements prescribed under the constitution and the Electoral Act 2022 to stand for a legislative election, is entitled to all the rights and benefits of their candidature as a validly nominated candidate of the LP for the 2023 governorship elections.

“This is notwithstanding the negligent acts of a third party in non-compliance to the Electoral Act, 2022 which adversely affects the plaintiff’s candidacy.”

“Any gubernatorial election conducted by INEC in Kano state without Bashir’s name being published and included as one of the contestants would be illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.”