Tag: Muazu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),its National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu and others have denied claims by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, that the Ebenezer Alabi-led Executive Committee in Ondo State was dissolved.

The PDP, Mu’azu and others, who are defendants in a suit by members of the Alabi-led committee, denied dissolving the Ondo Executive Committee.

They said the party’s national leadership never stopped recognising and relating with the Alabi committee as the party’s only executive in Ondo State.

Their position was contained in a written address and a counter-affidavit, dated November 3, filed in response to the case before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Apo, Abuja.

Metuh had, in a statement on October 26, announced the dissolution of the Alabi-led executive committee and the constitution of a caretaker committee headed by Dare Adeleke.

Also joined in the suit are the Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, National Secretary Prof. Wale Oladipo, Metuh, Senate President David Mark and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The plaintiffs include Alabi, Ondo PDP Deputy Chairman Fatai Adams, and its Secretary, Oyedele Ibine and three party chairmen at the local government level.

The defendants, who have also opposed the plaintiff’s application for “an order of mandatory injunction setting aside the purported dissolution” of the party exco in Ondo State, said, in a supporting affidavit, that the claims by the plaintiffs in their application dated October 27 were false and misleading.

The defendants, in their written address by their lawyer, Victory Kwon, added that “on the contrary and significantly, the first – 13th defendants (PDP national leadership) have continued to deal with only the plaintiffs/applicants (Ebenezer Alabi-led exco) as regards to its activities in Ondo State.

The defendants also stated, in their counter-affidavit deposed to by Nanchang Ndam, that “on the contrary, the first – 13th defendants have only dealt with the plaintiffs/applicants to the exclusion of any other person as regards its activities in Ondo State.”

Alabi and others had, in their application, accused the defendants of having engaged in “serial acts aimed at appropriating to themselves or destroying the subject matter of the suit”.

They urged the court to grant its application for mandatory injunction “declaring null and void and of no effect all steps, acts or things done by the caretaker committee pending the determination of the suit.”

The court will conduct hearing on the applications filed by both parties today.

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu yesterday got a reprieve as two separate suits seeking his removal from office were withdrawn.

Counsel to the litigants, Elochukwu Nweke announced the withdrawal of the suits at the party’s national secretariat.

The litigants, Emmanuel Onu and Ezionye Louis Ndubuisi had filed the suits at the Federal Hight Court, Abuja in September and October 2014 seeking Mu’azu’s removal on grounds that the process of his emergence contravened the constitution of the PDP.

Mu’azu emerged as chairman in February through affirmation by an enlarged meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee, following the forced resignation of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as party chair.

Nweke said: “We wish to officially announce and state that we have withdrawn the above law suits seeking to remove the PDP national chairman from office.”

The lawyer stated that the decision to withdraw the suits was in the overriding interest of the party and based on fresh evidence from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He added that certain documents from INEC had confirmed the validity of Mu’azu’s position and that the party was already in the process of ratifying his appointment as chairman.

The commission, in a letter by its secretary, Musa Adamu, said the appointment of Mu’azu as acting national chairman of PDP complies with the party’s constitution.

The letter was in response to an inquiry over the status of Mu’azu as chairman of the party.

In their suit which had INEC and PDP as interested parties, the plaintiffs faulted the process that produced Mu’azu as chairman of the party saying it was not known to the party’s constitution.

But the letter from INEC dated October 21, 2014, read,  “Pursuant to the resignation of the former national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu was appointed the acting National Chairman of PDP in accordance with section 47(6) of the PDP Constitution 2012 as amended, which provides

“Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the executive committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from pending the conduct of the election to fill the vacancy.

“In view of the foregoing, the appointment of Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu as the acting National Chairman of PDP is valid as it complies with the party’s Constitution and the Commission recognises him as such pending the conduct of election to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the former national chairman.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday stormed the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja to personally depose to an affidavit in support of a suit he filed, seeking, among others, to restrain the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and six others from taking steps to remove him from office.

Dressed in white agbada and white cap, Tambuwal, who was accompanied to court by a large crowd comprising aides and supporters, arrived the court around 12 noon and left some few minutes after his lawyers completed the necessary documentations in respect of the case.

Joined with the PDP  in the suit, with his new party, the All Progressive Congress  (APC) as co-plaintiff, include PDP’s National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, the House of Representatives, the Deputy Speaker of the House, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney general of the Federation (AGF).

Why he defected

Tambuwal argued that he still remains a member of the House of Representatives and the House’s Speaker. He added that he was elected the House’ Speaker on June 6, 2011 by members of the House, not because he was a member of the PDP, but by virtue of his being a member of the House.

He stated that he had been a member of the New PDP faction of the party when it became factionalised late last year. He added that his faction of the PDP merged with the APC on November 26, 2013  and that by virtue of the merger he became a member of the APC.

The Speaker stated that the PDP still remains factionalsied in his home state of Sokoto, which informed why he informed members of the House of Representatives that his defection was also informed by the situation of things in his state.

“I know as a fact that all efforts to harmonise the factions of the PDP in my home state in Sokoto has failed as there are still factions in the state. I informed the members of the 3rd defendant (House of Reps) whilst announcing my decision to join the New PDP faction, who merged with the 2nd plaintiff (APC) that my membership of the 2nd plaintiff was based on the circumstances in my home state.”

Tambuwal further stated that since he announced his defection,  the PDP and its Chairman have consistently threatened to declare his seat vacant and withdraw all rights and benefits including security details attached to him.

He stated that he is aware that the court had in two deferent cases held that the seats of other former members of the New PDP, who are now members of the APC cannot be declared vacant.  He cited the case to include that of the PDP and 1 other vs. Honourable Rasak Atunwa and 20 others, suit No: FHC/IL/CS/6/2014 delivered on June 26, 2014 and the case of Ibrahim Magaji Gusau and 2 others vs Honourable Lawal Mohammed Zyyana and 20 others, suit No: FHC/S/CS/4/2014 delivered on July 3, 2014.

He further stated that when he became a member of APC, all the defendants, except the INEC, “began to intimidate, harass  and use self-help against me, and they purported to declare my seat vacant.

“In further demonstration of the unconstitutional conduct, the 5th defendant (IGP) withdrew all my security details and thereafter issued a press statement justifying the said withdrawal by citing provisions of the Constitution.

“I know that I received threats that the 1st – 5th defendants will cause the 3rd defendant to remove me from the office of Speaker because of my membership of the 2nd plaintiff and the 5th defendant issued a statement  in that direction after he withdrew my security details.”

He said he has become apprehensive that all the defendants, except INEC, “will use unlawful means to make good their threat if this court does not intervene to stop them.”

Injunction

ambuwal is praying the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from taking any steps or further steps to abrogate or diminish or take away or interfere with or infringe his rights and privileges as Speaker and a member of the House before the expiration of his term of office on June 5, 2015.

He also wants an order of injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from taking any steps to remove him from office as Speaker and member of the House or in any manner taking steps or further steps to abrogate or diminish his rights and privileges as Speaker and member of the House before the expiration of his current tenure of office on June 5, 2015.

Tambuwal seeks an order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC from accepting any nomination of candidates or otherwise organising or conducting a by-election for the purpose of replacing him or taking over his seat as Speaker and member of the House before the expiration of his current tenure of office on June 5, 2015.

He wants the court to grant an order of mandatory injunction compelling the IGP and AGF to restore to him, his security details and all other rights, benefits and opportunities appurtenant to members of and office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Speaker also seeks a declaration that the decisions or threatened decisions of all the defendants, except INEC,  purporting or planning and or attempting to declare the seat of the 1st plaintiff in the 3rd defendant vacant as a member and Speaker thereof, is unlawful, unconstitutional and ultra vires the powers of the defendants

Tambuwal wants a declaration that he remains a member and the Speaker of the 3rd defendant until the expiration of his current term of office on June 5, 2015 notwithstanding his membership of APC unless he  is removed in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

He also seeks a declaration that by virtue of the decisions of the court in the case of PDP and 1 other vs. Honourable Rasak Atunwa and 20 others, suit No: FHC/IL/CS/6/2014 delivered on June 26, 2014 and the case of Ibrahim Magaji Gusau and 2 others vs Honourable Lawal Mohammed Zyyana and 20 others, suit No: FHC/S/CS/4/2014 delivered on July 3, 2014, and the fact of the 1st plaintiff’s membership of the New PDP that merged with the 2nd plaintiff, his membership of the APC is legal and constitutional within the purview of the Constitution.

He urged the court to further declare that since his membership of the APC is legal, he remains a member and Speaker of the House of Representatives until the expiration of his current tenure of office on June 5, 2015, unless he is removed in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

Tambuwal further seeks a declaration that the withdrawal or purported withdrawal of his security details at the prompting of the defendants, when he has not been removed from office as the Speaker and member of the House of Representatives is unlawful and unconstitutional.

He wants the court to hold that the withdrawal of his security details amounts to an act of self-help and a fragrant violation of his constitutional rights to life and security, and constitutes a denial of the rights and privileges, perquisites associated with and appertaining to his office as Speaker and member of the House.

In a separate suit filed by Dr. Tunji Abayomi on behalf of Tambuwal, Abayomi prays for a temporary order of court directing the return of the security aides of the speaker pending the determination of the suit.

Abayomi also prays the court for an order restraining the defendants from interfering with the rights and privileges whatsoever attached to the office of the Speaker pending the determination of the suit.

The two cases are yet to be assigned to a judge.

Enugu State government has denied a report that the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu M’uazu and the National Working Committee of the party refused to grant Governor Sullivan Chime audience when he visited the national chairman in his office on Tuesday.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Chukwudi Achife, described the report as a fabrication and a figment of the reporter’s imagination.

He said contrary to the report, the governor spent over two hours  with the national chairman, adding that he believed the report was the handiwork of the governor’s foes, designed to embarrass him and M’uazu.

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and who whould be completing their second term in May, are at war with the leadership of the party over their ambition to go to the Senate.

Indications emerged yesterday that the governors have been mounting pressure on the party’s national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu to cede senatorial tickets in their various zones to them.

The Nation gathered that a peace meeting between Mu’azu and the governors Wednesday night over the matter ended in a deadlock.

The governors, it was gathered, had insisted on getting automatic tickets of their senatorial zones, a move that would see the present occupants of the seats out of contention.

The governors’ position is said to be anchored on the premise that they needed to be rewarded for initiating the idea of the automatic presidential ticket granted President Goodluck Jonathan by the party’s National Executive Committee in August.

Mu’azu was said to have been miffed by the governors’ position, particularly when they were said to have insisted on fielding their preferred candidates as their successors in the coming elections.

The party chair was said to have pleaded with the governors to cede the governorship tickets to the senators they wish to replace, a plea that was said to have angered the governors.

A party source privy to the meeting told reporters  that Mu’azu’s opinion that the party needed the experience of its ranking senators in the next dispensation, for stability of the government, also did not sit well with the governors.

An enlarged meeting to include other prominent party chieftains is expected to reconvene at the weekend to find an amicable resolution to the matter.

Our correspondent further gathered that shortly after the meeting with Mu’azu, a governor from one of the Southsouth states brought a senator representing his zone before President Jonathan.

The governor was said to have pleaded with the President to “find something” else for the senator, since he (the governor) would be replacing him in 2015.

Our source disclosed that the senator had taken exception to the governor’s statement because he was never given an inkling of the reasons for the nocturnal visit to the President.

The party source, who pleaded not to be named said “The truth is that the pressure has always been there since the issue of the President’s  endorsement was concluded at our last NEC meeting.

“It is now taking a very dangerous dimension because our desire is to strengthen our National Assembly, especially the Senate.

“We believe that the polity could benefit from their wealth of experience but the governors, with their desire to all go to the Senate, are constituting a big constraint on our desire for this.

“While we believe that the governors are our field commanders, we cannot say in the same breath that our senators are no more useful and should be discarded.

“So we have outlined some acceptable conditions that will guide both the governors and the senators, because there is no way the governors can have everything to themselves without consideration for others.”

Some of the outgoing PDP governors who have indicated interest in the Senate include Sullivan Chime (Enugu); Martin Elechi (Ebonyi); Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Isa Yuguda (Bauchi); Jonah Jang (Plateau) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger).

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State is said to have shelved his plans to go to the Senate.

He is reported to be scheming to replace the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba with his anointed candidate, Mr. John Eno, who is a member of the House of Representatives.