The All Progressives Congress (APC) has told a Federal High Court in Abuja, that the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) was sacked to solve the internal leadership crises rocking the party.
The party also said that immediately the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee was put in place after the NWC’s dissolution, the crises that had characterised its affairs were laid to rest.
Reacting to a suit challenging the dissolution of its NWC filed by one of its chieftains, Mr Kalu Kalu Agu, APC said further that the present suit challenging the NWC dissolution effected on June 25, 2020, was designed to destabilise it.
In a five-paragraph counter affidavit in opposition to the suit, the APC said that by its own constitution the National Executive Committee (NEC) has the power to set up any committee including the current National Caretaker Committee led by Governor Mai Mala Buni.
In the counter-affidavit deposed to by Mrs Adenike Adelakun, a Librarian in its legal department, APC further said that Governor Buni and other members of its National Caretaker Committee are eminently qualified for their appointment and pleaded with the court to dismiss the suit.
Meanwhile, the plaintiff in the matter has asked the court to order for the continuing hearing of the substantive suit during the ongoing vacation of the Federal High Court.
Kalu also pleaded with the court for another order abridging the time within which the 14 respondents are to file and serve jointly or severally their counter-affidavit and other processes in response to the suit.
His motion on notice filed by Ukpai Ukairo was predicated on the grounds that his suit is a pre-election matter which ought to be decided within 180 days prescribed by the Constitution.
He claimed time is of the essence and that a delay may cause irreparable damage or serious mischief.
However, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), counsel to the 14 Caretaker Committee members in their counter to the motion, claimed that the suit has no particular life span, adding that the subject matter of the suit did not relate to any particular election.
Fagbemi, therefore, urged the court to decline the request of the plaintiff.
Meanwhile, the trial judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo after taking submission from parties in the matter fixed September 18 to rule on whether to hear the matter during the court’s vacation or not.
Kalu, a Youth Leader of the APC in Abia State is challenging the powers of the party’s NEC to sack the national leaders barely two years out of their constitutionally guaranteed four-year term of office.
In the suit with number: FHC/ABJ/ CS/736/2020, the plaintiff asked for an order setting aside the dissolution of the NWC by APC’s NEC meeting held at the presidential villa in June this year.
He is also praying the court for an order restraining the National Caretaker Committee members led by Buni from parading themselves as national officers of the APC and from usurping the functions of the party’s NWC, among other prayers.
Respondents in the case are INEC, APC, Governor Mai Mala Buni, Isiaka Oyebola, Ken Nnamani, Stella Okorete, Governor Sank Bello, Dr James Lalu, Senator Abubakar Yusuf, Hon Akinyemi Olaide, David Leon, Professor Their Mamman, Isiaka Ahmed and Senator Akpan Udoedehe.
Nigerian Tribune