A Federal High Court sitting in Kano on Friday granted an order directing the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to allow statutory delegates to participate in the forthcoming party’s national convention.
The APC presidential primary is scheduled to begin on January 6, 2022.
The case was filed by Mas’ud El-Jibrin Doguwa, the Special Adviser to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila on Politics and two others namely Habibu Sani and Bilyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the three applicants are supporters of the party’s frontline presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu.
Messrs Doguwa, Sani and Shinkafi had prayed the court to declare that Section 84(8) cannot be interpreted to have excluded statutory delegates from voting at the convention, congress or meeting by virtue of Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 20(iv)(c) of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Constitution, which allow. Statutory Delegation to vote at convention, congress or meeting.
The 2nd defendant (APC) had filed a counter affidavit in opposition to the Originating Summons dated June 1, 2022, but the 1st, 3rd and 4th defendants did not file any process in this suit.
Delivering the judgement, Justice A.M. Liman said “Section 84(8) cannot be Interpreted to have excluded statutory delegates from voting at the convention, congress or meeting by virtue of Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 20(1v)(c) of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Constitution, which allow Statutory Delegation to vote at convention, congress or meeting.”
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that statutory delegates include ward, local government, state and national executives of the party as well as past executives as defined by the party guidelines.
Others are the president, vice President, former presidents (who are members of the party), former vice presidents (who are members of the party), governors, deputy governors, serving and past members of the National Assembly, former governors, former deputy governors, council chairmen, serving councilors and past council chairman who are members of the party.
