APC guber aspirants ask court to nullify Katsina congresses
Two Governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Katsina State Chapter have asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to nullify the party congresses purportedly held at various times in the wards, local governments and state levels in Katsina State.
The plaintiffs Alhaji Garba Sani Dankani and Muhammad Sada Mainasara, who instituted the case against the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stated that the party violated its own rules and guidelines in the conduct of it primaries in the state.
They are therefore praying the court to nullify, invalidate and set aside the purported congresses by the APC in all the wards and local government areas of Katsina State in May this year.
The grouse of the two governorship aspirants is that the APC did not comply with any known law before coming to the wrongful conclusion that officers have been elected for the wards, local governments in Katsina State.
In the suit instituted by Ola Olanipekun (SAN), the plaintiffs are also praying the court for an order restraining the two defendants from recognizing any person or group of persons from parading themselves as elected ward, local government and state executives of the APC pending the conduct of valid Congresses in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act and APC constitution.
The two governorship aspirants also prayed the court to restrain both APC and INEC from recognizing any person or group of persons to parade themselves as elected officers in the ward, local government and the state until valid Congresses are conducted in line with the constitution of the APC.
Besides, the plaintiffs applied for another order to compel APC to conduct Congresses for the wards, local governments and state chapter of the party and which must be observed and monitored by INEC in line with the provisions of the law.
The two governorship aspirants asked the court to restrain INEC from accepting anybody or group as nominated candidate for elective office for Katsina State for 2019 until valid Congresses have been conducted in a democratic manner.
When the matter came up yesterday before Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo, counsel to INEC, Umar Buka, told the court that he was yet to file processes in the matter and pleaded for a short adjournment to enable him do so.
The judge, who expressed concern about the delay in filing of process however obliged the electoral body and fixed November 8 for hearing.
