APC leadership tussle: Court adjourns untill March 31

Justice Samira Bature of an FCT High Court, on Friday adjourned hearing in the motion on notice filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, until March 31.

The defendants in the suit are Babatunde Ogala; Lanre Issa-Onilu; Waziri Bulama and the party, APC.
The court on Monday, March 16, granted an interim order permitting Chief Victor Giadom, the current Acting National Secretary of the ruling APC to act as the National Chairman of the party.

The interim order was granted after listening to a motion ex-parte, marked FCT/HC/M/6447/2020, filed by Salihu, which was argued by his counsel, O.C. Ugwu.

Salihu had approached the court, through the ex-parte motion, seeking for an interim order allowing Giadom to pilot the affairs of the party as acting chairman .

Also, to preside at all meetings of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) pending the decision of the party’s NEC fixed for March 17.

The applicant also sought an interim order restraining the APC and its officers or anyone purporting to act as an officer of the fourth defendant, APC, from preventing or in any way disturbing Giadom from functioning as the acting chairman.

The applicant added that unless otherwise decided by the NEC of the party pending the hearing of the motion on notice.

However, when the case was called in court on Friday, neither the applicant nor the defendants were present in court.

They were not represented by any counsel.

No reason was given for their absence in court.

Their absence prompted the judge to adjourn the matter until March 31 for hearing.