Court invalidates Ganduje-led APC ward congresses

Justice Hamza Mu’azu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has nullified Kona State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congress backed by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

The court upheld the outcome of the parallel congress that produced about 19,000 candidates loyal to factionl leader of the party and Senator representing Kano Central, Ibrahim Shekarau.

Governor Ganduje had earlier declared any other congresses held outside the one conducted under Prince Abdullahi Abbas leadership as illegal.

Although Ganduje insisted that the party has concluded with the nomination of candidates for the congresses under a consensus arrangement, the decision was challenged by the G-7 group under the leadership of Shekarau, who had fronted parallel leadership under the chairmanship of Haruna Ahmadu Danzago.

The candidates produced by Shekarau’s faction had the outcome of the other congresses and sought outright nullification of the process that produced them.

The applicants led by Muntaka Bala Sulyman and others had joined issued with APC, Chairman APC extra ordinary caretaker Committee and Governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni, National secretary of the party, JohnAkpanudoedehe, Independent National Electoral Commission, among the nine defendants.