A showdown may be imminent in the All Progressives Congress (APC), as some members of the party have dragged the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The aggrieved members in the application filed at the court are seeking an order compelling the Buni-led CECPC not to hold the National convention in February.
The plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/3/2022, and filed through their lawyer, Olusola Ojo, prayed to the court to stop the National convention on the grounds that state congresses conducted on October 16, 2021 across the federation are yet to be completed.
The plaintiffs are Suleiman Dimas Usman, Muhammed Shehu, Samaila Isahaka, Idris Isah, and Audu Emmanuel.
In the suit, the APC, Chairman of APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were listed as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
They also prayed for an order of the court directing the 1st and 2nd defendants to first conduct state congresses of the 1st defendant in Anambra and Zamfara states before the national convention of the 1st defendant can be scheduled and conducted.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the APC is yet to contact the INEC on the national convention scheduled to hold in February, a development which could affect the conduct of the convention in February.
Making this disclosure in an interview with the PUNCH, The Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, explained:
“Before any political party conducts its convention for the election of officers, it is required to serve the commission a 21-day notice as provided by Section 85 (1) the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). Between now and the end of February is more than the three weeks required by law. Therefore, while the party has not served any notice yet, there is still time to do so,” he was quoted to have said.
Though there is still enough time for APC to inform INEC of its planned national convention, provisions of the Electoral Act suggest that further delay on the part of the ruling party could lead to the postponement of the convention.
Section 85 (1) of the Electoral Act says, “A registered political party shall give the commission at least 21 days notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under this Act.”
