Kano APC congresses: Appeals stall as Shekarau faction fail to file response

Hearing of appeal on the leadership crisis of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano, on Tuesday stalled failure of the former Governor Mal. Ibrahim Shekarau’s faction to file a response to the appeal process.

The APC national headquarters, chairman and secretary of the APC ward and local government congresses have appealed the judgment of Justice Mu’azu Hamza of the Federal Capital Territory High Court which invalidated the congresses held by the national headquarters of the ruling party.

In the judgment of the lower court, the parallel congresses held by the Shekarau faction under the Chairmanship of Ahmadu Haruna Danzago was validated against Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s anointed Chairman Prince Abdullahi Abass.

When the appeal case came up for hearing at the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, the counsel to the respondents Nureini Jimoh (SAN) however told the court that responses to the appellants arguments are not ready.

The appellants who had served all processes of the appeals to the respondents are asking the higher court to decide whether the lower court possess the jurisdiction to hear the matter involving inter issue in a political party.

Counsel to the appellants told journalists that the APC headquarters, chairman and secretary of the Kano Congresses Committee are demanding outright dismissal of Justice Mu’azu’s judgement for lack of jurisdiction.

The appellants are asking the court to set aside the lower court judgment because the subject matter is clearly an intraparty affair that the lower court lack jurisdiction to hear.

In his ruling, the panel of three Justices of the Appeal Court presided by Justice Haruna Tsammani, ordered counsels to the respondents to file their responses within 24 hours.

While directed all parties to resolve all differences in filing and response of processes, the wise panel of Justices, however, stood down hearing to Friday, January 21, 2022.

Although, the appellants had challenged the lower court with a motion to set aside the November judgment as well as a stay of execution, the High Court last week denied jurisdiction to hear the matters due to pending appeals before the court of appeal.