Convention: Aggrieved Chieftains Sue Buni

Some aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), name­ly, Suleiman Usman, Muhammed Shehu, Samaila Isahaka, Idris Isah and Audu Emmanuel have filed a suit against Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Ex­traordinary Convention Plan­ning Committee of the party over plans to hold a national convention in February.

By the suit instituted at the Federal High Court Abu­ja, dated January 4, 2022, the plaintiffs want an order of the court restraining the Buni-led CECPC from going ahead with the planned convention.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the APC, Chairman of APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Commit­tee, and the Independent Na­tional Electoral Commission.

The case marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/3/2022, which was filed on behalf of the plaintiffs through their lawyer, Olusola Ojo, the applicants are praying the court for an order stopping the convention on the ground that the party congresses are yet to be completed in all the 36 States of the federation.

The plaintiffs raised five is­sues for the court to determine and also sought eight declara­tive reliefs.

The plaintiffs, among other reliefs, are seeking an order restraining the 1st and 2nd de­fendants from organising and conducting the national con­vention of the 1st defendant unless State congresses of the 1st defendant are first conclud­ed in all the 36 States of the fed­eration and the Federal Capital Territory.

“An order directing the 1st and 2nd defendant to first conduct State congresses of the 1st defendant in Anambra and Zamfara States before the national convention of the 1st defendant can be scheduled and conducted.”

They also want an order restraining the 3rd defendant (INEC) from giving approval ef­fect to any action of the 1st and 2nd defendant to organise and conduct national convention of the 1st defendant unless State congresses of the 1st defendant are first conducted/concluded in all the 36 States of the feder­ation and the Federal Capital Territory.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.

Meanwhile, it was learned that all the governors elected on the platform of the APC, known as the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) have scheduled a meeting this week­end in Abuja, at the Kebbi State Governors Lodge in Asokoro.