All Progressive Congress (APC) National Caretaker Chairman and Yobe State Governor, Mala Buni, Is claiming that neither the party nor him is restrained from conducting a nationwide Local Government Congresses by Asaba High Court in Delta State.
But, the supposedly progressive party has expelled the Caretaker Chairman for Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Sulaiman Adamu, for allegedly making derogatory statements about President Muhammadu Buhari.
APC claims that Adamu was pushed out of the party for allegedly bringing its image to disrepute. In a seeming unusual speed, the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) has ratified Adamu’s expulsion at its 16th meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday.
CECPC Secretary, John James Akpanudoedehe, in a statement on Thursday said the expulsion takes immediate effect as part of efforts to maintain internal discipline among party members
“The CECPC received and deliberated on the report of his (Adamu’s) infractions and recommendations of the seven-member disciplinary committee set up by the Adamawa State Working Committee to investigate the offences committed by Adamu against the interest of the party.
“Recall the viral video in which Adamu made unwholesome utterances against President Muhammadu Buhari, the Leader of the party”, Akpanudoedehe said, explaining that Adamu “was also found guilty of bringing the image of the party to disrepute, thereby creating doubt about his leadership quality and loyalty to the party”.
Adding, he said, “the CECPC calls on party members to always demonstrate self-discipline and restraint by desisting from acts and utterances that are inimical to the interest of the party.”
In the meantime, some members of the party dragged APC to court in Delta. But Governor Buni in a statement in Abuja, through his media aide, Mamman Mohammed, claims that the restriction of the conduct of Congresses was only limited to Delta state and does not affect other states.
He is blaming mischief makers who, according to the APC chief, never wished the party well for the misrepresentation of the facts on the court ruling, pointing out that one Elvis Ayomanor and seven others on August 19 instituted a case against APC and its leadership in a High Court of Asaba, challenging the outcome of the party’s Ward Congress of July 31, 2021.
The seven applicants prayed the court to among other things issue and service the originating summons on 15 defendants including the party, the Chairman Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and members as well as, the Chairman of the party in the state.
The applicants also sought the court to issue interim injunction to restrain the chairman and members of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee from acting or parading themselves as leaders of the party pending the determination of the case against the outcome of the ward Congress in Delta state before the court.
They also prayed for interim injunction restraining the party from conducting the local government and state government Congresses slated for 4th September in Delta state pending the determination of the case before the court.
The statement said the High court in its wisdom ruled “This court has looked at the motion Ex-Parte dated 18th/8/2021 and filed 19th/8/2021seeking the reliefs as set out on the face of the motion paper.
“This court has also looked at the supporting affidavit along with exhibits attached as well as the written address containing legal arguments in support of the prayers sought.
“Reliefs 1, 2, 3 and 4 have to do with issues of service of processes on all parties in this suit. Relief 5, 6 and 7 are injunctive reliefs being sought in the interim. The affidavits in support contain sufficient grounds for the grant of the reliefs being sought. Reliefs 1,2,3,4 and alternative prayer 5 of the motion Ex-Parte are hereby granted.
“Alternative prayer 5 is granted only in relation to the 15th defendant (Jones Ode Erue, Chairman APC, Delta State). In compliance with order 39 Rule 7(3) of the Extant Civil Procedure Rules of this court, this order of injunction granted shall abate after 7 days.
“It shall not operate ad infinitum. This matter stands adjourned to 7th September, 2021 by 10.00 a.m on agreement of counsel.”
Buni is however, insisting “from the above, it is apparently clear that the court ruling only affected the15th defendant (Delta state Chairman of APC) and not the National Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and Yobe state Governor Mai Mala Buni and other members of the committee.”
