BREAKING: Court vacates order stopping APC convention

A high court of the federal capital territory (FCT) has vacated an order stopping the national convention of All Progressives Congress (APC) from taking place.

 

The APC has scheduled its convention for March 26.

 

Bello Kawu, the judge, had on November 18, 2021 granted an order suspending the convention indefinitely after Salisu Umoru, the plaintiff in the suit marked FHC/HC/CV/2958/2021, took the party (APC), the chairman Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the court to challenge the planned convention.

Over the past weeks, there has been internal wrangling in the party over the national convention.

Mai Mala Buni, Yobe governor and chairman APC caretaker committee, had perfected plans to scuttle the party’s national convention in order to remain as caretaker chairman.

Buni and John Akpanudoedehe, national secretary of the APC caretaker committee, were said to have used a third party to obtain a court order temporarily restraining the ruling party from holding its convention until a substantive suit has been heard and determined.

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, on March 9, said the lawyers of Buni colluded with a petitioner to “destroy” the national convention.

He described the said court order as a “hidden nuclear weapon” that would have hampered the party’s chances in the 2023 general election.

Dissatisfied with the order, the APC approached the court with an application to set it aside.

Delivering judgment on the application, Kawu held that the plaintiff lacked the locus to sustain the restraining order.

The court held that the order of injunction it issued against the APC on November 18, 2021 has been overtaken by a recent judgment the supreme court delivered on a similar matter.

He then adjourned the plaintiff’s substantive suit to March 30 for hearing.