Court Sacks Taraba APC Executive

Wole Ayodele

The Federal High Court in Jalingo presided over Justice Simon Amobeda has sacked the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Taraba State.

Delivering judgement in a suit filed by some aggrieved members of the party against the executive of the party, Justice Amobeda declared the Congress that produced the leadership as illegal and a nullity.

The plaintiffs had asked the Court to nullify the Congress on the grounds that it was conducted in violation of the party’s Constitution and the amended Electoral Act.

The defendants, who listed APC, INEC, Ibrahim El-Sudi, Rachael Akpabio and Others as.defendants in the suit argued that the conduct of the Congress was fraught with irregularities.

They further alleged that contrary to the guidelines of the party, the Congress was not held at the State Secretariat of the party as it was held at a farm on the outskirts of Jalingo, the state capital which belonged to a stalwart of the party.

Delivering his judgement, Justice Amobeda ordered the El-Sudi-led executive to stop parading themselves as officials of the party in the State.

He berated the party for ridiculing the court by going ahead to conduct the purported Congress against an existing Order of the Court.

Justice Amobeda also held that the purported Congress was undemocratic as it shut out other members of the party due to the failure of the party to announce a date for the conduct of the Congress.

Based on the foregoing, Justice Amobeda ordered for the conduct of a fresh and all inclusive Congress at a date to be communicated to all members of the party.

In his reaction to the judgment, Counsel to the defendants, John Odekina Esq revealed that his clients would approach the Court of Appeals to seek Justice.

“The court has given its judgment. We appreciate the Court but this is not the final Court as we still have the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court”

‘’ We know that the Supreme Court has stated categorically, specifically and unequivocally in many cases that intra party disputes are not issues where Courts can litigate upon because they are domestic issues”

However, Counsel to the plaintiffs, Joy Ezekiel hailed the judgment and expressed the readiness of his clients to pursue the case to the appellate Court if the defendants choose to take the matter further.