Fresh crisis hits Gombe APC as group sues party

With less than three weeks to its primary elections, a fresh intra-party crisis has broken out in the Gombe State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC).It follows a suit filed by an opposition group within the party called Aldanci Advocates.

In suit No GM/9/2018 at the state High Court of Justice, the group is protesting against the May 5, 2018 ward congress election in all the 114 wards in the state.Malam Sirajo Khalid of Shamaki ward in Gombe local government council, alongside other 90 contestants, filed the case before Justice Haruna Habila Kereng of High Court No 11.

The group sued the chairman of the APC ward and local government congresses committee, Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila and Saka Abimbola Isau, chairman of the ward and local government congresses appeal committee in the state.

In their writ of summons, the plaintiffs prayed that the ward congress election conducted on 5, May 5, 2018 in the 114 wards should be declared as wrongful, illegal, null, void and of no effect whatsoever. They alleged that the congress election was done contrary to the party’s guidelines and constitution.

The plaintiffs are also seeking an order setting aside the exercise on the on the grounds that it is wrongful, illegal and of no effect whatsoever as according to them, no legal ward congress was conducted.

The plaintiffs further prayed the court for an order of injunction restraining the defendants and any other persons from recognizing any person purported to have been elected during the ward congress in the 114 wards.
 
Finally, they prayed the court to order and direct the respondents to conduct fresh ward congress in the 114 wards and allow all interested candidates, including the plaintiffs to participate, as well as, order the defendants to pay the sum of N500, 000 being expenses incurred by the aggrieved persons as legal and other fees in the course of the action.