Fresh crisis rocks Gombe APC as a group sues party

A fresh leadership crisis has engulfed the Gombe State chapter of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as an opposition group within the party has filed a case at the state High Court challenging the outcome of the 5th May 2018 ward congress election in the 114 wards in the state.

One Malam Sirajo Khalid of Shamaki ward in Gombe Local Government Area, alongside 90 other contestants, filed the case before Justice Haruna Habila Kereng of High Court No 11.

In the writ of summons with suit No GM/9/2018 made available to Journalists in Gombe on Wednesday, the group sued the APC, Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila Chairman of the APC ward and local government congresses committee in the state and Saka Abimbola Isau Chairman of the APC ward and local government congresses Appeal Committee in the state.

The plaintiffs’ claim against the defendants is that the ward congress election conducted on the 5th May 2018 in the 114 wards in the state should be declared as wrongful, illegal, null, void and of no effect whatsoever, as the congresses election were done contrary to the party’s congresses guidelines and constitution of the party.

The plaintiffs also seek an order seeking to set aside the ward congress held on the 5th May 2018 on the ground that it was wrongful, illegal and of no effect whatsoever in that no legal ward congress was conducted.

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The Plaintiffs further seek an order of injunction restraining the defendants and any other persons from recognizing any person purported to have been elected during the 5th May 2018 ward congress in the 114 wards in the state.

They are also asking the Court to order and direct the defendants to conduct fresh ward congresses in the 114 wards in the state and allow all interested candidates including the plaintiffs to participate therein and the defendants should pay the sum of 500,000 Naira as legal fees of the action.

All efforts to get the official reaction of the state chapter of the party as at the time of filing this report proved abortive as no official was ready to comment on the development.