Court rules on Kogi APC gov primary today – TheNigerialawyer

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja will on
Friday (today) rule on a request to stop the All Progressives
Congress from adopting indirect primary for the November 16, 2019
governorship election in Kogi State.

The judge, on Thursday, adjourned till Friday for ruling after
hearing the ex parte application by four members of the factional
executive committee of the party in the state.

The plaintiffs, Destiny Aromeh, Isah Abubakar, Noah Aku and Joy
Onu, are said to be of the Haddy Ametuo-led executive committee of
the party in the state.

They have as their rival the other faction of the party loyal to
Governor Yahaya Bello.

The APC is the sole respondent in the suit.

The party was, however, not represented in court for Thursday’s
ex parte hearing, a one-sided hearing, in which only the
applicants’ side is heard.

Their lawyer, Mr. Oluwole Aladedoye, while moving his clients’
ex parte application, asked the court to issue the “order of
interim injunction restraining the defendant (APC)” from adopting
“the indirect mode of primary for the nomination of its
governorship candidate in the forthcoming 2019 governorship
election in Kogi State.”

Aladedoye argued that there was an urgent need for the
restraining order to be issued to pave the way for direct primary
which would allow all card-carrying members of the party to
vote.

He said, if the National Working Committee of the party was not
restrained, the party would go ahead to adopt indirect primary and
his clients, not being the faction recognised by the national
leadership of the party, would be “shut out” and not allowed to
vote as delegates at the primary.

Aladedoye noted that the APC NWC adopted the indirect primary
for the Kogi governorship election in disregard for a pending suit
on the disputed leadership of the party in the state.

He said, “The plaintiffs/applicants here re-elected officials,
members of the executive committee of the defendant (APC) in Kogi
State. In 2018, the congresses of the party held, and they were
elected as the party’s officials.

“Then there was later another faction loyal to the governor of
the state that claimed to be the authentic elected officials. The
dispute on this is still pending before Justice Okon Abang. We were
before Justice Abang on July 5, 2019 and the matter was adjourned
till October.

“While this matter was pending, the National Working Committee
of the defendant (APC) met and resolved that they were going to
adopt indirect mode of primary for the Kogi State governorship
election.”

According to Aladedoye, the indirect primary only allows
delegates to participate.

“The state executive committee members of the party are
automatic delegates. The other option would have been the direct
primary which allows all card-carrying members of the party in the
state to participate.

“But by adopting the indirect primary when the issue of the
authentic members of the executive committee of the defendant in
the state has not been resolved, they will be shutting out the
applicants from participating in the primary,” he added.

After listening to the applicants’ lawyer, Justice Taiwo
adjourned till Friday for ruling.