Alex Enumah in Abuja
Four aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State yesterday asked the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to restrain the party from adopting the indirect voting mode selecting its candidate for the November 16 governorship election.
The plaintiffs who are members of the State Executive Committee (SEC) as well as delegates in the primary election slated for August 29, predicated their actions on the grounds that the indirect system of voting if allowed would not provide a fair and level-playing ground for all participants.
The plaintiffs in the exparte motion marked: CS/833/19, include Destiny Aromeh, Isa Abubakar, Noah Aku and Joy Onu, 1st to 4th plaintiffs respectively while the All Progressive Congress (APC) is the defendant in the case.
The plaintiffs, who are said to be members of Haddy Ametuo-led faction of the party, expressed the need for the party to respect court processes and halt any action on the proposed indirect primary.
They urged the court to determine whether the APC can adopt the indirect primaries with regard to the pendency of the suit filed by Haddy Ametuo, Salam Adejoh (suing for themselves and on behalf of other members) of the SEC elected on May 19, 2018.
Other issues for determination include: “whether the involvement of persons claiming to be members of the Kogi SEC during the pendency of the suit in the nomination of the governorship candidate would not amount to interference with the judicial process and run against the principle of subjudice which would render the outcome of such primary illegal, null and void.
The delegates also want the court to determine “whether the defendant can ignore the suit which seeks to determine the authentic members of the Kogi SEC, who constitute the delegates by adopting the indirect mode of the primary.
They also urged the court to decide “whether it is not an act of disrespect for judicial processes for the defendant to adopt the indirect mode of primary in nominating its governorship candidate having been made a party to the suit, which seeks to determine the authentic members of the Kogi SEC, who will constitute the bulk of the delegates to participate in the indirect primary mode for the nomination of the governorship candidate.”
The application was anchored on nine grounds and supported by a 31 paragraphs affidavit.
After listening to Aladedoye, Justice Taiwo reserved ruling to today (Friday), August 9.
