Some aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress have dragged Yobe State governor and Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party, Mai Mala Buni, before a Federal High Court in Abuja over plans to hold a national convention in February.
The applicants are seeking an order of the court restraining the Buni-led Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee from going ahead with the convention.
In the case with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/3/2022 dated January 4, 2022, the aggrieved members including Suleiman Dimas Usman, Muhammed Shehu, Samaila Isahaka, Idris Isah and Audu Emmanuel through their lawyer, Olusola Ojo, prayed the court for an order to stop the convention on the grounds that state congresses were yet to be completed in all 36 states of the federation.
The All Progressives Congress, Chairman of its Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Buni, and the Independent National Electoral Commission are all joined as defendants in the suit.
The plaintiffs raised five questions for the court to determine and also sought eight declarative reliefs.
Some of the reliefs the plaintiffs prayed the court for include, “An order restraining the first and second defendants from organising and conducting the national convention unless state congresses were first concluded in all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“An order of the honourable court directing the first and second defendant to conduct state congresses in Anambra and Zamfara states before national convention can be scheduled and conducted.
“An order of the honourable court restraining the third defendant from giving approval to any action of the first and second defendant to organise and conduct national convention unless state congresses were conducted and concluded in all 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory.”
Though no date had been fixed for hearing of the matter, the development appears to have caused serious worry among major stakeholders within the ruling APC.
Governors elected on the platform of the party have scheduled an emergency meeting for this weekend in Abuja at Kebbi State governor’s lodge, Asokoro, to discuss issues surrounding the APC national convention fixed for February 2022 and grievances of members calling for its postponement.
On Thursday, President Muhammadu Buhari warned the APC that it risked losing control of power at the national level in Nigeria if it failed to resolve all crisis within the party.
He said, “We have a time frame; we have to work around it because the four-year cycle is constitutional. It cannot be interfered with by anybody. So, if the party cannot agree, then the opposition will take over.”
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