A KADUNA High Court has restrained the All Progressives Congress (APC) from conducting the senatorial primary for Kaduna Central, which is being occupied by Shehu Sani.
Following the disqualification of four other aspirants by APC, the incumbent Sani had emerged on Tuesday as the APC’s automatic candidate.
Those disqualified are Ibrahim Usman (Sardauna Badarawa); Shamsu Shehu Giwa; Gen. Mohammed Sani Saleh; and Uba Sani, who is the special adviser (Political) to Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
But Sani filed an ex-parte motion before Justice M. I. Bello of a Kaduna High Court of Justice.
He asked the court to restrain the APC, the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) and Shehu Sani from taking further steps to elect a candidate for Kaduna Central.
The court order was served on APC National Secretariat and made available to reporters in Abuja yesterday.
In his application, El-Rufai’s adviser asked the court for an “order of interim injunction to restrain the defendants, their agents, privies, or anyone else by whatever name called from taking further steps towards conducting primary elections to elect candidate of the APC for Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone(Zone 2) of Kaduna State pending the hearing and the determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Alternatively, an order directing the parties herein to maintain the status quo prior October 2, 2018 materially to the conduct of primary elections to elect candidate of the 1st Defendant(APC) for the Kaduna Central Senatorial District(Zone 2) of Kaduna State pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed”.
The motion was filed pursuant to Order 15(1) and Order 36 of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules of Kaduna State, the court granted leave to issue and serve the writ of summons on the defendants.
Uba Sani’s lawyer, Sule Shuaibu Esq., explained that his client headed for court to protect his democratic rights after exhausting the internal party grievance-redress processes.
The counsel said: “Upon becoming aware of his unlawful exclusion, Uba Sani wrote and submitted a letter of complaint to the national chairman, urging him to reverse the decision.
“He followed up with a letter to the Appeal Committee, where he claimed that having fulfilled all the conditions for contesting the primary election, his unlawful exclusion should be set aside and he be allowed to contest the primary election.
“Given the imminence of the INEC deadline for the conclusion of primaries, Uba Sani cannot sit on his right and allow the effluxion of time to extinguish his cause of action.”
Ruling on the ex-parte motion, the court ordered the APC, its chairman Adams Oshiomhole, INEC and Shehu Sani to maintain the status-quo prior to October 2, 2018, when the APC unlawfully excluded Uba Sani and other aspirants from the contest.
In his ruling, the Acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice M.L. Bello, said: “Leave is hereby granted to the plaintiff/applicant to issue and serve the Writ of Summons in this suit out of Kaduna State and on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants in FCT.
“Parties are hereby ordered to maintain the status quo prior to October 2 2018 materially to the conduct of primary elections to elect candidate of the 1st Defendant(APC) for the Kaduna Central Senatorial District(Zone 2) of Kaduna State pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed.
“Case adjourned to 15/10/ 2018 for the Motion on Notice.”
President, Akeredolu, El-Rufai meet in Aso Villa
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met behind closed doors with two All Progressives Congress (APC) governors – Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo).
The governors arrived at the Presidential Villa together around 3.15p.m.
Though details of the meeting were not disclosed as they did not speak to reporters and no official statement was issued, it was believed that their visit might not be unconnected with the political developments in their states.
For Kaduna State, the relationship between el-Rufai and the Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has not been cordial.
It has led to creation of different factions of the party in the state.
Despite stiff opposition from the governor’s camp, the senator emerged as the sole candidate from his senatorial zone.
In Ondo State, Senator Ajayi Borrofice was to be returned unopposed in Ondo North on the platform of the ruling party. But, the governor was alleged to be planning to dislodge him through a primary.