Federal High Court
sitting in Abuja has summoned the National Chairman of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun, the Inspector General of Police
(IGP), Ibrahim Idris and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
to appear before it over the leadership crisis rocking the party in Kaduna
State.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba also granted an order of substituted
service allowing some contestants in the forthcoming local government council
elections in Kaduna State to serve court processes by way of substituted means
on the defendants, who are outside the court’s jurisdiction.
The plaintiffs in the matter, Aliyu Ismail, Abdullahi Yusuf
Babanyau and Ado Mohammed had dragged the IGP, INEC, Oyegun and others before
the court over the legality of Shuaibu Idris Lauje as the chairman of the party
in the state.
Also summoned to appear before the court were Senator Lawal
Shuaibu, Inuwa Abdulkadir, and the Kaduna State Independent Electoral
Commission.
The plaintiffs in a motion exparte, through their counsel,
Babs Akinwumi, asked the court to restrain Lauje from parading himself as the
chairman of the party in the state.
They also prayed the court to restrain the IGP from
harassing, intimidating or arresting Alhaji Danlami Wada, who is the acting
chairman of the party in the state from performing the functions of his office.
Justice Dimgba granted the prayers of the plaintiffs and
adjourned the matter to June 30 for hearing.
By Ameh Comrade Godwin
