FACTS OF THE DEFAMATORY AND DEROGATORY STATEMENTS PUBLISHED BY SAHARA REPORTERS AGAINST SENATOR SANI DANLADI RE “HOW TINUBU’S MINISTERIAL NOMINEE FROM TARABA, SANI DANLADI WAS BARRED BY SUPREME COURT IN 2019 FROM HOLDING POLITICAL OFFICE FOR 10 YEARS OVER FORGERY”

Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi is Businessman, Politician and card carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC); with teaming supporters and admirers within the political firmament of Taraba State, Nigeria and the world at large.

Significantly, He has occupied several political offices, which includes but not limited to Councilor, Chairman of a Local Government, Deputy Governor, an Acting Governor and a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Interestingly, Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi was able to discharge the duties of the offices mentioned without any record of blemish whatsoever.

To set the records straight, there is no subsistingjudgment of any court in Nigeria disqualifying Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi from either contesting an election or barring him from holding any public office.

The baseless rumor pushed by some unpopular politicians from Taraba State that Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi is not worthy of occupying any Public Office for 10 years commencing from 2019 is a wanton remarks unwittingly made in absence of any proof or any Court Judgment indicting Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi in this regard. 

For the sake of record, it has become pertinent to put the records straight thus:

On the 6/03/2019, the Federal High Court, Jalingo Division delivered a Judgment in SUIT NO: FHC/JAL/CS/1/2019 BETWEEN USMAN UDI & 3 ORS. VS. ABUBAKAR SANI DANLADI & ANOR, wherein the Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi was disqualified from contesting the gubernatorial election of Taraba State in the 2019 General Election.

Notably, Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi appealed against the above decision in SUIT NO: FHC/JAL/CS/1/2019 BETWEEN USMAN UDI & 3 ORS. VS. ABUBAKAR SANI DANLADI & ANORto the Court of Appeal via APPEAL NO: CA/YL/41/2019 BETWEEN ABUBAKAR SANI DANLADI & ANOR V.  USMAN UDI & ORS.However, the Court of Appeal on the 3/05/2019 struck out the said appeal for being incompetent.

 

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the said appeal, Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi further appealed to the Supreme Court in APPEAL NO: SC/518/2019 BETWEEN ABUBAKAR SANI DANLADI & ANOR V.  USMAN UDI & ORS. The Supreme Court, however, struck out the appeal having held that same was incompetent.

However, at page 20 of the Supreme Court's Judgment, His Lordship, Peter-Odili, JSC (as he then was) held thus: "Learned Senior Counsel for the appellants had sought to lead the court to the earlier situation relating to the cause of action at the trial court by contending that the trial court itself had no jurisdiction to determine the matter in the first place if Section 285 CFRN is applicable since the cause of action arose on 25th October, 2018 a point not disputed and the Originating Summons filed on 9th January 2017 which made the action filed 76 days after the accrued cause of action, instead of 14 days provided by Section 285 (9) of the Constitution"

Premised on the findings of the apex Court, Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi commenced an action via SUIT NO: FHC/JAL/CS/10/2021 BETWEEN ABUBAKAR SANI DANLADI VS. USMAN UDI &5 ORS before the same Federal High Court, Jalingo Division to set aside its earlier decision in SUIT NO: FHC/JAL/CS/1/2019 BETWEEN USMAN UDI & 3 ORS. VS. ABUBAKAR SANI DANLADI & ANORon the grounds that the Court lacked the Jurisdiction to have entertained the suit in the first place.

The Honourable Court found merit in Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi's case and on the 15th day of October, 2021, set aside its earlier decision in SUIT NO: FHC/JAL/CS/1/2019 BETWEEN USMAN UDI & 3 ORS. VS. ABUBAKAR SANI DANLADI & ANOR as being a decision given without jurisdiction.The Defendants in SUIT NO: FHC/JAL/CS/10/2021 BETWEEN ABUBAKAR SANI DANLADI VS. USMAN UDI &5 ORS thereafter filed a Notice and Grounds of Appeal to the Court of Appeal, Yola Division, which was later withdrawn.

 

Preparatory to the 2023 General Elections, the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) instituted an action at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division in SUIT NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/1080/2022 BETWEEN PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY V. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) & ORS, urging the Honourable Court to disqualify Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi from participating in the 2023 General Election as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on the ground that he has been disqualified from contesting election, relying on the Judgment Federal High Court, Jalingo Division delivered on  6th of March 2019.

 

On the other hand, Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi contended that the Judgment being relied upon by the PDP had been set aside on 15th day of October, 2021, via SUIT NO: FHC/JAL/CS/1/2019 BETWEEN USMAN UDI & 3 ORS. VS. ABUBAKAR SANI DANLADI & ANOR. Interestingly, the trial Court in the judgment delivered on the 22/11/2022 the suit in his favor .

The Peoples Democratic Party  PDP was dissatisfied with the Judgment of the Trial Court Appealed against the said Judgement to the Court of Appeal in APPEALNO: CA/ABJ/CV/1344/2022BETWEEN PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY V. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION & 2 ORS, which appeal was equally dismissed by the Court of Appeal on the 23/01/2023.

Pained with decision of the Court of Appeal, PDP further appealed to the Supreme Court via APPEAL NO: SC/CV/168/2023 BETWEEN PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY V. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION & 2 ORS. However, the appeal was again dismissed.

 

As if that is not enough, in the primary election,Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi opponent (Alhaji Ali Sani Kona) filed another case as in SUIT NO: SUIT NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/1777/2022 BETWEEN ALI SANI V. SANI ABUBAKAR DANLADI & 2 ORS on the purported disqualification even though he was a party in SUIT NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/1080/2022BETWEEN PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY V. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) & ORS.The Federal High Court, Abuja had on 13th day of February, 2023 dismissed the case.

 

Giving all these facts, it is clear for the blind to see and audible for the deaf to hear that there is no subsisting judgment of any court in Nigeria disqualifying Our Client from either contesting an election or barring him from holding any public office.

 

U.I Ujah, Esq.