Some aggrieved members of Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), have approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order restraining the party from holding its Convention in February 2022.
The ruling party members are seeking an order of the court restraining the Buni-led Caretaker Committee from going ahead with the convention.
The Party Caretaker- and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee is currently under Governor Mai mala Buni of Yobe State, northeast Nigeria. The plaintiffs are Suleiman Dimas Usman, Muhammed Shehu, Samaila Isahaka, Idris Isah and Audu Emmanuel.
While, the defendants in the suit are APC, the Chairman APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The plaintiffs, through their lawyer, Olusola Ojo, prayed the court for an order to stop the convention on the ground that state congresses are yet to be completed in all the 36 states of the federation. The plaintiffs raised five questions for the court’s determination and also sought eight declarative reliefs.
Some of the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs are:
An order of this Honourable Court restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants from organizing and conducting the national convention of the 1st defendant unless state congresses of the 1st defendant are first concluded in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
An order of this Honourable Court directing the 1st and 2nd defendant to first conduct state congresses of the 1st defendant in Anambra state and Zamfara state before the national convention of the 1st defendant can be scheduled and conducted.
An order of this Honourable Court restraining the 3rd defendant from giving approval effect to any action of the 1st and 2nd defendant to organize and conduct national convention of the 1st defendant unless state congresses of the 1st defendant are first conducted/concluded in ALL the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.
Meanwhile, the Progressives Governors Forum scheduled a meeting this weekend in Abuja, the nation’s capital, to discuss the party’s national convention fixed for February this year.
Suzan O.
