A Kaduna State High Court sitting in Zaria has barred one of the two contestants of the PDP zonal chairmanship congress, Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, from participating in all party affairs pending the determination of the motion on notice.
Mr Gwarzo, who was suspended by the party in Kano, is contesting for the North West zonal chairmanship alongside Mohammed Jamo, who is backed by a former governor of Kano, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Giving the order on Thursday, Justice K. Dabo restrained the PDP from recognizing Mr Bello or allowing him to participate in all party activities.
“An interim injunction is granted restraining the 1st Respondent [PDP], their agents, privies, assigns and indeed whosoever and howsoever described from recognising and or allowing the 4′ Respondent [Bello Hayatu Gwarzo] from participating in any of it activities by whatever name called pending the hearing and the determination of the motion on notice.
“An interim injunction is made restraining the 4th Respondent from participating in any activities of the 1st Respondent inclusive contesting for any elective position in the forth coming 1st Respondent’s North-West Congress pending the hearing and the determination of the motion on notice.
“An interim order is made directing the 1st Respondent to maintain status quo on the suspension of the 4’h Respondent pending the hearing and the determination of the motion on notice.
“The motion on notice and the enrolled order of this court to be served on the Respondents within reasonable time before the return date.
In a statement issued after the court order, the Kano state chapter of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has reaffirmed the earlier suspension of Mr Gwarzo, who they accused of anti-party activities in 2019 elections.
“As we approach the impending northwest zonal party congress, the state executives of the PDP in Kano state and its 44 local government chairmen met on Wednesday the 9th of Feb 2022 and unanimously endorsed his suspension from the party due to his political romance with the ruling All Progressive Congress and direct involvement in anti-party activities as alleged by his ward during the 2019 general elections.
“You may recall that Gwarzo ward has issued a suspension letter to Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo. The suspension was endorsed by the local and state executive committees.
“We wish to intimate the national working committee and the board of trustees of the party that we followed the necessary due process as enshrined in the constitution of our great party, (the PDP), this same procedure was followed to suspend the former national chairman of the party Prince Uche Secondus and today, the current NWC is the biggest beneficiary of such a process legally provided by party’s constitution.
“I wish to confirm that I am today in receipt of a court order directing both the National and the state chapter of our great party to stop Senator Bello Hayatu from participating in the upcoming northwest zonal election.
“It is therefore necessary for us as a party to obey this order to avoid unnecessary legal tussle capable of spoiling our party’s bright chances in the coming 2023 general election
“Glaringly, Senator Bello Hayatu worked for Governor Ganduje’s re-election and he was rewarded by appointing his aide as the Managing Director, Kano Zoological Garden and some Special Advisers in Ganduje’s administration.
“Therefore, the state executive committee reaffirmed the suspension of Senator Gwarzo, as such he does not have the right to contest any position in the party.
“It is our prayer that he will be withdrawn from the list of contestants as par the said court order,” the party said.
