Some concerned stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have asked leaders of the party to prevail on the embattled national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, to obey a judgment of the Kano State High Court which ordered his suspension.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, coordinator of the group,Muhammad Etsu said obeying the order would portray the party as law abiding.
He said: “We call on people of consciences to prevail on the party to obey the order of High Court of Kano State restraining and prohibiting Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje from presiding over the affairs of APC pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction in order to preserve the respectability and integrity of the party as the governing party.
“This is so as not to send the wrong signal to Nigerians that the party is anarchic, lawless, and deviates from its aims and objectives, which as prescribed in its Constitution, promote and uphold the tenets of internal democracy, institutionalise, and strictly observe the ideals of the Rule of Law and constitutionality,” he said.
The group also demanded that the seat of the national chairman should be returned to the North Central region to complete the tenure of Abdullahi Adamu.
The aggrieved APC stalwarts alleged that imposition of Mr Ganduje was insensitive and a clear violation of the zoning process in the party.
“On behalf of all APC stakeholders from the country, advocates of inclusive leadership in our party from across the country, and all aspirants who participated in the 2022 elective convention of the party from the zone, we are calling for the retention of the seat of the party chairman in the zone where position was micro-zoned in the North.
“Perhaps we should consider the merits of North Central regaining this office from how much acceptance the president enjoys in the zone. In the last general election, the president polled 1,760,993 votes [ 41.3% of North Central votes cast] to defeat his closest rival in the zone by a margin of 345,436 votes.
“The President got the required 25% votes in all six states of the zone, including the FCT, and won with a great lead margin in Niger, Kogi, Kwara, and Benue states.
“By this record, the zone gave the president the third highest votes after the North West and South West. The All Progressives Congress should reflect on these factors and ensure they don’t leave a friend [the North Central] behind.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that APC in the North Central is blessed with an abundance of competent and capable individuals who parade the credentials to lead the party through its next phase as the Tinubu administration settles down to deliver good governance to the people.
“That is why we are calling on the party to be more strategic and focus on the bigger picture in the spirit of fairness, equity, and justice, allow the North Central to produce the next chairman to continue the mandate given to the zone in 2022. And uphold the sanctity of Article 31.5 [I]of our party constitution,” Mr Etsu added.
