The Yobe State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to appeal a judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe State, which declared Bashir Sheriff Machina the duly nominated senatorial candidate for Yobe North in the 2023 elections.

The party said it will appeal the judgement despite the decision of Senate President Ahmad Lawan, who currently occupies the Yobe North seat in the National Assembly, to accept the judicial pronouncement.

APC State chairman, Mohammed Gadaka, said the judgement was not acceptable to the party.

Gadaka, in a statement on Friday, said Lawan remains the candidate of the party for the Yobe North election in 2023.

The statement reads: “We are aware of the Wednesday, September 28, 2022, the ruling of the Federal High Court in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, concerning the forthcoming Yobe North Senatorial District election.

“However, we respectfully reject the decision of the President of the Senate, His Excellency Senator Ahmad Lawan, accepting the judgment of the court which disqualified his candidature and participation in the election.

“In exercise of our legal rights, the Yobe State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has decided to appeal the Federal High Court ruling in the interest of Yobe State, Nigeria and good governance.

We must protect and sustain Senator Ahmed Lawan’s twenty-three years exemplary sojourn as a lawmaker and his impeccable record of leadership and patriotism – and commitment to making Nigeria work.”

Recall that Justice Fadima Murtala Aminu of the Federal High Court, Damaturu, Yobe State on Wednesday had declared Machina as APC senatorial candidate for Yobe North.

The judge also ordered the APC to forward the name of Machina to INEC as the authentic winner of the primary election in Yobe North.

The judge dismissed purported primary election where the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, emerged as the senatorial candidate as a “phantom.”

Lawan, who participated in the presidential primary election of the APC and lost to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, subsequently went for the ticket of his senatorial district, a move challenged by Machina who asserted that he duly participated in the Yobe North primary primary and won the ticket.

Reacting to the court judgment in a statement on Thursday, the Senate President said he would not appeal the decision and accepted Machina as the rightful candidate.