The Bauchi State High Court, presided over by Justice Lamido Kabir Umar, granted an interim order restraining Bauchi State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aliyu Babayo Misau, from parading himself as substantive chairman of the party pending the hearing and determination of a Motion on Notice.
The judge gave the ruling on the suit numbered /BA/07/992/2023 between APC concerned citizens and the chairman and the party.
Counsel to the complainant, Barrister Isa Mohammed, filed a motion vide writ of summons alleging that Misau contravened the party’s laws and acted against the victory of the party in the recent governorship election in Bauchi State.
He asked the court to restrain Misau from parading himself as the chairman of the party pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Justice Umar granted the appeal but ordered the parties in the suit to fast track their cases. He ordered the applicant to file and serve his Motion on Notice and the originating summons within 14 days.
The judge also granted an appeal for substituted means of service on the respondent through pasting of order on the respondent’s last known place of abode or at his house situated at Makurdi Road, GRA Bauchi, Bauchi State.
The case was adjourned to December 11, 2023 for hearing on the motion on notice.
In a related development, the APC in the state passed a vote of no confidence in him and appointed deputy chairman Alh. Mohammed Hassan Tilde as acting capacity chairman.
The party council after its deliberations in Bauchi Thursday said that it has reflected on the crisis that engulfed the party dates back to its primaries to date attributable to the weak leadership of Babayo Aliyu Misau and resolved the passage of no confidence in him.
Unveiling the party’s resolution of the executive to the press, the APC legal adviser, Barrister Rabiu Garba said the party in Bauchi will render the report of their meeting to the APC national Secretariat in Abuja.
He explained that the leadership of Babayo Aliyu Misau has culminated to the party’s lost of a vast number of membership and deprived the party of hundreds of thousands votes during the 2023 general elections in the state.
Garba said, “Following the meeting of the state executive council of all progressives congress this morning Thursday the 30th November 2023 and having reflected the issues and crisis bedeviling our party, particularly what we are facing immediately after the primary elections to the general elections to today, we have witnessed slot of negativity happening in our party.”
“Members are beginning to lose confidence in the administration of our party in Bauchi state and in order to tackle the problems, the state executive of the party decided to come up this morning and take a stand.”
“Consequently, pursuant to article 17 (5) of the constitution of the All Progressives Congress (APC), 2022 as amended, we unanimously pass a vote of no confidence on the chairman, Alh. Babayo Aliyu Misau.”
“And under article 17 (6) of the same constitution, we appoint his deputy Alh. Mohammed Hassan Tilde in acting capacity as chairman of the Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi state.”
“And as the constitution requires, we shall render the same report to the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja, and subsequently a congress meeting shall be called for ratification,” the legal officer concluded.
