by Godwin Tsa, Sun News
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) said it sacked the Adams Oshiomhle led National Working Committee (NWC) to end the internal wranglings in the party.
This was contained in a counteraffidavit filed by the party in response to a suit filed by Kalu Agu, challenging the dissolution of the NWC before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.
Other defendants in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Buni, Isiaka Oyebola, Ken Nnamani, Stella Okorete, Governor Sank Bello, Dr James Lalu, Senator Abubakar Yusuf, Hon Akinyemi Olaide, David Leon Professor Their Mamman, Isiaka Ahmed and Senator John Akpanudoedehe.
In the said process filed by it’s counsel, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the APC claimed that the coming on board of the Caretaker Committee led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, the crisis in the party has ended.
In his suit marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/736/2020, Agu is challenging the June 25, 2020 decision by the APC to sack the Oshiomhole-led NWC. Agu argued that the party’s constitution guarantees four year tenure for its officials, and that in breach of the same constitution, APC’s NEC, at a meeting on June 25, 2020, at the presidential villa Abuja, “passed an illegal and unlawful resolution dissolving the NWC and also setting up an illegal caretaker committee of the NWC.”
The plaintiff stated that members of APC’s NWC had barely spent two years out of their four years in office before they were purportedly dissolved by the NEC.
APC NWC News: NWC dissolution declared Illegal
He wants the court to declare the dissolution of the NWC as unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and another declaration that the recognition accorded the caretaker committee is unconstitutional and illegal.
In addition, he prayed the court to restrain the National Caretaker Committee from putting into effect the resolution of the APC’s NEC meeting passed on June 25, 2020, and to restrain INEC from recognising, dealing with or relating with the caretaker committee in whatever guise to usurp the functions of the NWC.
Among other reliefs, Agu equally wants the court to compel INEC to continue to recognise members of the sacked Oshiomhole-led NWC as the authentic national officers of the party.
However, in it’s counter-affidavit to the suit, the APC argued that the action of the plaintiff was designed to frustrate it’s current peace building and reconciliation efforts.
While urging the court to dismiss the suit, the party further submitted that members of its National Caretaker Committee are eminently qualified for their appointment.
In a different application, the party wants the court to reject a motion by Agu, seeking to have the case heard during its ongoing vacation and to abridge parties’ time to file their processes.
