Court stops Bent

Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday held that Senator Grace Folasade Bent is not the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Adamawa South Senatorial District in next month’s National Assembly election.

Justice Abdul Kafarati affirmed that Ahmed Hassan Barata, the winner of the February 2 senatorial primary, is the party’s authentic candidate.

Dismissing Mrs Bent’s claim that she won the rerun primary, as lacking in merit, the Judge said the senator failed to prove her case by providing material evidence before the court.

The court noted that the real primary was conducted on February 2, where Mrs Bent emerged third, as established by a committee raised by the PDP to address conflicts arising from the primary.

Barata’s counsel, Joe Kyari-Gadzama (SAN), the PDP’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN) and that of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) unanimously urged the court to dismiss Bent’s suit.

Uche asked the court to vacate its earlier order restraining INEC from recognising Barata as PDP’s candidate.

In a motion on notice, Barata urged the court to vacate the order recognising Mrs Bent as the candidate because the injunction was obtained by fraud.