13th July, 2021
By Abubakar Ahmed/Gusau
Ten All Progressives Congress (APC) local government chairmen in Zamfara State, have sued the National Caretaker Chairman of the party, Alhaji Mai-Mala Buni over their sack.
The case was filed at the Federal High Court, Gusau, on 12 July.
Buni on June 29, announced the dissolution of all the party’s leadership structure in Zamfara while receiving Gov. Bello Matawalle into the APC from the PDP.
The plaintiffs, Alhaji Abdulaziz Danmaliki and nine others applied are challenging the dissolution.
In the case filed by D. C. Enwelum (SAN), the plaintiffs want the court to determine whether the CECPC chairman had the right to dissolve them and handover affairs of the party.
They also want the court to determine whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can lawfully accept and deal with any other officer of the party in the state, other than they.
They asked the court to declare as “mere oral announcement, the dissolution, on June 29, as illegal and a void act contrary to Article 14.1 (lll), (V) and (Vlll) of the party’s constitution.”
They are also affirming that the dissolution does not extinguish the legal rights of the plaintiffs and that Mai Mala Buni lacks the right to remove the plaintiffs who were duly appointed by the National Secretariat of the party on December 8, 2020.
The plaintiffs also urge the court to set aside and nullify the announcement made by the first defendant, dissolving the executives and handing over affairs of the party to Gov. Matawalle as the party leader.
Enwelum (SAN), the lawyer in the suit, submitted that the defendants should respond within 30 days of receipt of the summon from the July 12, without which “proceedings may be taken as the presiding judge may think just and expedient.”