Razaq Bamidele
When the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC), early 2020 consumed its former National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, the general belief in some political quarters was that the desired peace would start to reign supreme in the party. Interestingly, however, rather than peace, the party has been experiencing crisis upon crisis.
The sign that the party may not know peace started manifesting with the constitution of a Caretaker Committee headed by the Yobe State Governor, Mala Buni, as the acting national chairman of the party after the exit of Oshiomhole.
Buni, who was the National Secretary of the party before he became governor in 2019, had gone a step further to supervise the meetings where timeline for congresses and national Convention was finetuned.
Some pundits, who are versed in law, had been expressing apprehension that the party’s joy might be short-lived. And truly, the development nearly cost the party Ondo State recently when the victory of the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was challenged through the Tribunal to the Court of Appeal before finally ending in the apex court- The Supreme Court of Nigeria.
At the apex court, Akeredolu escaped by the whiskers, as the seven-member panel of justices led by Justice Mary Odili dismissed the petition with four judges, upholding Akeredolu’s victory against the dissenting judgement of three other justices.
The grounds of the petition, by the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Eyitayo Jegede, were that the APC candidate was not validly nominated, as the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led executive was illegally constituted.
Reacting to the development, the state chapter of the PDP, said the seven justices of the apex court also admitted that there was a violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, said the party was encouraged that the court upheld the merit of the case with the agreement that the constitution of the Caretaker Committee was faulty.
Last Straw
The seeming last straw that appears capable of breaking the camel’s back manifested last Wednesday, a Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba, the state capital, sacked the acting National Chairman, Mai Buni and other members of the party’s Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
The Presiding judge, Justice Onome Marshal Umukoro, restrained Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State and others from parading themselves as Chairman and members of the APC CECPC, pending the determination of a substantive suit before the court.
The latest Asaba ruling, no doubt would have effect on the activities of the APC towards the crucial elective national convention of the party in preparation for the 2023 general election in the country.
Reacting to the verdict, however, Mai Mala Buni has rubbished the Delta State court order against him, saying the order was not binding on him.
Speaking through a statement by his Director General, Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, in Abuja, he said only ‘mischief-makers’ were misinterpreting the order, as it was directed at the Delta State Caretaker Chairman and not him, Buni.
His statement reads: “Mr. Elvis Ayomanor and seven others on 19th August instituted a case against the APC and its leadership in a High Court of Justice, Asaba, Delta state, challenging the outcome of the party’s ward Congress of 31st July, 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 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 am on agreement of counsel.
“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, Hon. Mai Mala Buni and other members of the committee.
“It is also clear that the restriction of the forthcoming ward Congress is limited to Delta state and does not affect other states.
“Some mischief makers who never wished the party well, had continued to misrepresent the facts mostly without having access to the court ruling.”
No matter the final outcome of the ruling, one thing is obvious and that is that all is not yet well with APC. There is still apprehension that the party may cave in if things are not urgently done to address the various forces pulling at the heart of the party from different quarters.
