The Supreme Court has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had no candidates in the 2019 general elections in Zamfara state. The five-member panel of justices, in a unanimous judgment on Friday, held that the party in the state failed to conduct primaries in accordance with the party rules.

In the lead judgment by Justice Paul Adamu Galinji, the apex court held that all votes cast for the APC as “wasted votes” and declared that all political parties with the second highest votes in the elections and the required spread, are elected to the various elections. The panel also awarded cost of N10m against APC in favour of the Kabiru Marafa faction of the APC and other respondents in the appeal. 

The justices sounded a note of warning to politicians against destroying the country’s democracy.