The All Progressives Congress has said its decision to dissolve the National Working Committee, led by its former National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and replace it with a caretaker committee, was taken to end the internal crisis in the party.
The party stated this in a counter-affidavit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja in opposition to a suit filed by a youth leader of the party in Abia State, Kalu Agu, who is challenging the dissolution of the Oshiomhole-led NWC.
The National Executive Committee of the party had on June 25 dissolved the Oshiomhole-led NWC and constituted a new caretaker committee headed by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.
But, in the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/ CS/736/2020, filed on July 8, 2020, Agu urged the court to restrain the Buni-led committee from further parading itself as national officers of the party.
Joined as respondents to the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission, the APC, Buni and members of the caretaker committee.
But the APC, through its lawyer, S. E. Aruwa, asked the court to dismiss the suit which it argued “is designed to destabilise the affairs of the 2nd respondent (APC).”
A librarian in Aruwa’s law firm, Mrs Adenike Adelakun, added that “the setting up of the Caretaker/Ordinary Convention Planning Committee was a way to bring to an end the leadership crises that had engulfed the affairs of the 2nd defendants (APC).”
The party stated that by its constitution, the party’s National Executive Committee “can set up any committee” including the caretaker committee, “as it may deem necessary and assign to such committee(s) powers and functions as it may deem fit.”
Meanwhile, the plaintiff had filed an application for hearing of the suit during the ongoing vacation of the Federal High Court.
However, counsel for the APC caretaker committee members had through their lawyer opposed the application.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo has fixed September 18 for ruling on whether or not to hear the matter during the court’s vacation.
PUNCH
