Plateau APC Factional Chairman Ishay Itse , Others Sue Hon Bature, Others Over State Congress  

Yakubu Busari

The factional Chairman of the Plateau State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress APC ,HON. Ishaya Itse ,Hon Dakwom  William Danjuma, Timothy Yilmukuah  Nnerotmwa  Deyin ,Nanman Maimagani Zhattau, Garba Pankwal Ahuza  who are the claimants/applicants, has gone to court to challenge the All Progressive Congress , (APC)  Plateau state executive committee  of the All progressive Congress, Hon. Rufus D. Bature,  Hon. fidelis longban,  Hon. Philip A. ADIK,  Silvanus Namang  respondents, .Hon. Barr. Alice Dimlong  8HON. BAKO WUMANNA and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The suit is a result of the fallout of Plateau State APC Congress, where the Claimants/applicants are aggrieved.

The reliefs sought according to the court documents seen said,  take notice that upon the determination of the above stated questions, the   Claimants shall pray the court for the following Reliefs against the Respondents jointly and severally as follows:

A declaration that, having regard to the clear and unambiguous provisions of Section 223 (1)(a) and (2) (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended); and Articles 13.6(ii) and 20 of the All Progressives Congress(APC) Constitution, the persons qualified to serve as the principal officers and members of the executive committee or other governing body of a political party, including but not limited to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the 1st Defendant herein, must mandatorily emerge through election on a democratic basis and not by imposition.

A declaration that, having regard to the express and unambiguous provisions of Section 223 (1)(a) and (2) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended); Articles 13.6(ii) and 20 of the All Progressives Congress(APC) Constitution, the persons that can occupy the positions of principal officers and members of the executive committee or other governing body of a political party, including but not limited to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the 1st defendant herein,  at all levels including but not limited to State executive committee members must, as a matter of obligation, be elected democratically and not otherwise.

A declaration that, having regard to the fact that the Claimants herein withheld their consent and/or refused to step down for the 3rd to 8th Defendants herein in the 1st Defendant’s State Congress in Plateau State fixed for 16th October, 2021, the said 3rd to 8th Defendants did not pass for consensus candidates, i.e., cannot be described as consensus candidates.

A declaration that, having regard to the fact that the Claimants herein withheld their consent and/or willfully refused to step down for the 3rd to 8th Defendants herein and no election held on the 16th of October, 2021 or on any other date, the purported emergence of the said 3rd to 8th Defendants as the Plateau State Executive Committee members in the 1st Defendant’s election which was fixed for 16th October, 2021, was/is in gross violation and/or breached of the express and unambiguous mandatory provisions of Section 223 (1)(a) and (2) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) and  Articles 13.6(ii) and 20 of the All Progressives Congress(APC) Constitution.

A declaration that, having regard to the explicit and obvious provisions of Section 223 (1)(a) and (2) (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended) and Articles 13.6(ii) and 20 of the All Progressives Congress(APC) Constitution, and the fact that the Claimants herein refused to concede to request for them to step down for the 3rd to 8th Defendants herein in the election of the 1st Defendant with respect to the Plateau State executive committee scheduled for 16th October, 2021, the purported emergence of the 3rd to 8th Defendants as the Plateau  State Executive Committee Members is not through a democratic means.

A declaration that   the 3rd to 8th Defendants who did not emerge through election on a democratic basis cannot lawfully and legally serve as the Executive Committee Members of the Plateau State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a period of 4 years or for any other period.

An order setting aside the emergence of the 3rd to 8th Defendantsand others that purportedly emerged with them as the Plateau State Executive Committee Members of the 1st Defendant for the period between 2021 to 2025 or any or period.

An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 3rd to 8th Defendants from parading and or holding out themselves as the Plateau StateExecutive Committee members of the 1st Defendant.

An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st defendant from recognizing and or dealing with the 3rd to 8th Defendants as the Plateau State Executive Committee members of the 1st Defendant.

An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 9th defendant from recognizing and dealing with the 3rd to 8th Defendants asthe Plateau State Executive Committee members of the 1stDefendant.

The sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five million naira) as general damages against the 3rd to 8th Defendants.

It would be recalled that the factional Chairman of the APC, Hon. Ishaya Itse yesterday at a press briefing said that the Appeal Committee has compromised by staying in Government House for two days without going to the state party’s Secretariat.

He noted that they were at the party Secretariat on Tuesday between 10am to 3pm waiting for the committee but nobody was sighted at the secretariat.

“We were at the Party Secretariat on Tuesday between 10am to 3pm as announced by the Appeal Committee but nobody was sighted there until 4pm when thugs were mobilized to unleash terror on us.

“We will go to the National Secretariat and submit our petition because of the threat to our lives. We have just reported to the DSS about the threat to our lives, we hope that they will do the needful.” He stated.

Itse claimed that he is the genuine party Chairman in the state who bought form and instructed by the National Secretariat based on the party’s guidelines for the Congress.

He described the APC congress that took place in the state as a birthday party where the celebrant was declared and celebration commenced.