A High Court in Kano on Tuesday fixed May 27, 2024, to hear three applications on the suspension of the All Progressives Congress National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
The applications to be heard by the court are preliminary objection, jurisdiction and joinder.
The applicants, Haladu Gwanjo and Laminu Borguma, through their counsel, Ibrahim Sa’ad, informed the court that they had filed a motion ex parte with a 13-paragraph affidavit seeking an order for an interim injunction on Ganduje’s suspension.
Recall that the court had on April 17, 2024, granted an order directing parties to maintain the status quo as of the 15th day of April 2024, about the APC National Chairman’s suspension by the Ganduje Ward executive committee members.
When the case was mentioned on Tuesday, counsel to the applicant, Ibrahim Sa’ad, told the court that they were served with the counter affidavit by the respondent in court.
He, therefore, asked for another date to enable them to respond to the application.
Counsel to the first, second and third respondents, MM Duru, did not object to the request made by the counsel to the applicant for a new date to be given.
“We have filed and served all parties our motion dated April 24 challenging the jurisdiction of this Court to entertain this matter.”
The Counsel to the fourth respondent, Lydia Oyewo who also did not object to the new date told the court that her client was not served with the court processes and therefore was a breach of a court order.
“We have not been served with the processes of the Court. The plaintiff is in contempt of the court because they have failed with the order of the Court directing him to serve all the defendants in the matter.
“Particularly, we are appearing out of respect to the court. Our client has not been served so we could not file any processes before the Court.
“However we have been unable to compile and transmit records. In essence, the court of appeal is not yet seized with the jurisdiction for the matter and then for this court to determine and continue with the matter pending when we did the needful.”
“This matter is an intra-party matter and the court has held severally to even to the apex court that the court does not have jurisdiction to hear and determine intra-party matters that have to do with leadership, membership and discipline of members.”
On their part, parties seeking to be joined led by Barrister S.U Jibril informed the Court of their position in joining the matter before it.
After listening to both counsels, Justice Usman Na’abba fixed 27th May 2024 to enable both parties to serve their processes and for hearing of the three applications.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
