Kano APC crisis: We await Tinubu’s next line of action – Shekarau

A former Governor of Kano state, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, has urged National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu to help resolve the crisis facing the state chapter of the party.

He said all aggrieved parties in the dispute are currently waiting on the former Lagos state governor to wade in.  

Shekarau stated this Tuesday 48 hours after meeting the party’s national leader in Lagos.

Speaking in a BBC Hausa interview on his visit to Kano, the lawmaker said:  “I told Mr Tinubu that the crisis in Kano APC was not between myself and Ganduje, it is a disagreement of the party leadership in the state; we were sidelined in the affairs of the party in the state.

Tinubu told me that Governor Ganduje initially briefed him about the crisis. So, as a leader, he deemed it necessary to invite me to hear from me and he sent for me and we met on Sunday in Lagos.”

The former Kano state governor also said all rival factions had briefed Tinubu on the crisis with a view to resolving it.

“He is a party leader; he will eventually render his advice on the next line of action for the success of the party,” Shekarau said.

At the last APC congresses held October 18, two set of executive councils emerged in the state.

The Shekarau faction, with two senators and four members of the House of Representatives on their side, elected Haruna Danzago as chairman while Abdullahi Abbas emerged the chairman of the Ganduje group.

But the APC National Appeal Committee recognised the Ganduje faction led by Abbas, a decision the Shekarau group challenged at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.  

However, in a recent ruling, the court upheld the legality of Shekarau- backed exco.

Further to this, the court also restrained the Ganduje group from appointing new leaders for the party in the state.

But the Ganduje-led faction filed a stay of execution as it vowed to appeal the judgement.  

Suit on Buni c’ttee

In a related development, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Jabi, Abuja, has fixed December 17 to commence hearing in a suit filed by an aggrieved member of the APC, Okosisi Emeka Ngwu.

Ngwu is seeking an order setting aside all actions and decisions taken by the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party.

Justice Babangida Hassan gave the order in the suit marked FCT/HC/CV/1824/2021 and filed by his lawyer, Chief Oba Maduabuchi (SAN).

 The plaintiff is further seeking an order of court dissolving the Committee known as and called the Caretaker/ extraordinary Convention Planning Committee. 

Other defendants in the matter are the All Progressives Congress; Isiaka Oyebola; Ken Nnamani; Stell Okorete; Governor Sani Bello; Dr. James Lalu; Senator Abubakar Yusuf;  Hon Akenyemi Olaiade: David Leon; Abba  Ali; Prof. Tahir Mammam, Ismail Ahmed and Senator James Akpan Udoedehe.

Ngwu stated that he wanted to contest the position of the National Chairman of the APC in 2018 when the term of the national chairman of the party expired but was prevailed upon to allow Adams Oshiomhole to be returned un-opposed.

That after two years, he was surprised to hear that the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee had been dissolved and a contraption known as Caretaker/Extraordinary Planning Committee was created by an unknown person and Mai Mala Buni asked unilaterally to head the committee.

That he was surprised as by the constitution of the party, the National Executive Committee would be in office for four years until June 22, 2022.

He is therefore seeking a declaration that unless an election is conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act and by an organ known to and created by the constitution of the All Progressives Congress, no valid candidates can emerge from such a primary. 

Whether there is any organ of the All Progressives Congress known as Caretaker/Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) created in or by the Constitution of the party.

Whether the organisation known as and called Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee is one of the organs created by Article 11 of the constitution of the political party known as and called the All Progressives Congress.

He also sought to know whether a valid candidate or officer of the party can emerge from a congress fixed by any other organ of a political party outside the National Executive Committee of a political party including the APC.

Consequent upon this, the court granted an order for extension of time for the APC to enter its appearance in the suit and to file other processes as was prayed by its counsel, Daniel Akinwale.