Zamfara: Marafa returns to Court over APC primaries impasse



Signs that all is not well yet within the camps of members of  the All Progressives Congress ( APC) in Zamfara State even after the 2019 general elections emerged on Tuesday in Abuja with disclosures to that effect by  Senator Kabiru Marafa ( APC Zamfara Central).

Senator Marafa who personally signed a statement, said litigation arising from the way and manner the party primaries were handled in the state last year, were still pending in the court of law.

Specifically, the Senator said he  has written the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa over the delay in the constitution of the appeal panel to entertain the Zamfara All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries tussle.

Marafa in a letter by his counsel, dated 13th March, this year, addressed to Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, said the delay in the constitution of the panel is likely going to to deny him justice.

The case number CA/32/2019/ Sen Kabiru Garba Marafa &142 others, was part of the pre-election litigations that trailed the failure of the APC to conduct primaries/ consensus in Zamfara state.

The letter reads: ” My lord, refer to our letter of concern (copy attached hereto) in which we had respectfully requested that the present panel hearing the above appeal recuses itself for the reasons already humbly adumbrated in the said attached letter dated 4th March 2019.

“The appeal came up on the 13th March, 2019 before the Sokoto Division of the court of Appeal. My Lord to our surprise, the court did not sit but merely sent the court Registrar to inform all counsels and parties concerned that it has recused itself from hearing the appeal; but without any word as to the constitution of another panel to hear the appeal or as to what date the matter will now come up for hearing before a new panel. 

“This letter is therefore a SOS to your lordship to kindly and urgently constitute a new panel to hear our client’s appeal. 

“The urgency of this letter and your timeous action are underlined by the very fact that this appeal is constitutionally time-lined and same will expire on the 27th March 2019 constitutional effluxion of time. Where that happens, the appeal itself would lapse and die prematurely due to no fault of the Appellants. 

“We therefore respectfully appeal to your Lordship to kindly and urgently constitute a new panel to hear our appeal immediately. We look forward to your kind and timeous action, Sir.”

The Senator alleged that  there is a grand conspiracy by the Zamfara state Government with the active support of some former Governors and some Abuja politicians to frustrate the case, so that the 60 days for pre-election mater will elapse.  

According to him, “What that means is that the case will die a “natural” death and the aggrieved party will not have the chance of going  to the  Supreme Court for redress.

“APC constitution vested the powers to conduct primary Elections on its NWC, but the whole world witnessed Gov Yari live on Channels Television with the chairman of his faction, who is now a “member elect” for Kaura Namoda constituency in the State House of Assembly, announcing result of a so-called primaries conducted by the state chapter of the  APC (Yari Faction) in the premises of their factional headquarters. This is clearly against our constitution and the party’s constitution,” he said.

He called on the acting Chief Justice of the Federation and the secretary of the National Judicial Council ( NJC), to as a matter of all urgency intervene and ensure the panel is constituted and the matter given accelerated hearing.

“Looking at the whole issue and the plight of the people of Zamfara state, the  matter should be allowed to get to its logical conclusion, in the interest of justice and fair hearing,” he said.

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