By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court, sitting in Sokoto has re-affirmed that Isa Sadiq Achida remained the authentic chairman of Sokoto All Progressives Congress (APC).
Omotosho who is the Presiding Judge in case filed by the Mainasara-ed faction of the APC which is also claiming to be the state chairman of the party dismissed the case on grounds of filing out of time (Status Bar).
While explaining that the case should have been filed within 14 days after the Appellant court judgment that set aside the Abuja High Court judgment on the matter, Omotosho insisted that political parties have acceptable guidelines.
Amongst these guidelines, according to Justice Omotosho, include conducting party congresses at party Secretariat which was not so in the case that produced the Mainasara-led executive committee. This, therefore, negates the guidelines set up by APC for the conduct of states' congresses.
Bringing this into consideration, Justice Omotosho stressed that the report of the Independent National Electoral Commission, therefore stands, hence re-affirming the Isa Sadiq Achida led executives as the duly recognized leadership of the party.
He however dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the counsel to Achida that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter since it was an internal affair of the political party.
The APC in Sokoto has been engulfed in a leadership crisis after the State Congress of last year, following the emergence of leadership from 3 factions in the same party.
The Hon Salame faction produced Surajo Abubakar Dogon Daji as it's chairman, the Senator Wamakko-led faction produced Isa Sadiq Achida and that of Senator Gada-led faction produced Mainasara Abubakar Sani
As the tussle for the party leadership rages on, the Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice while in Sokoto, insisted that the Mainasara-led state executive was the duly recognized one, a position which was affirmed by an Abuja High Court.
Uncomfortable with the High Court decision, one of the factions approached an Appeal Court in the same Abuja which set aside the judgment on grounds that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter that occurred in Sokoto state.
Following that legal trend, the Mainasara-led executive filled a case in the Federal High Court of Sokoto which judgment was delivered.
At the time of filing this report, Mainasara was unable to respond to calls put across to him to know their next line of action, however, counsel to Sadiq Isa Achida led by Barrister Jacob Ochidi SAN said he was comfortable with the ruling. NNL.
