Galadima asks court to annul APC convention and declare him interim chairman

Buba Galadima, chairman of the “reformed” All Progressives Congress (R-APC), has asked a federal high court in Abuja to annul the convention of the ruling party and declare offices of the national working committee (NWC) executives “null and void”.

He also asked the court to allow members of the R-APC preside over the affairs of the APC on interim basis.

Galadima said since the APC did not conduct a valid convention, those parading themselves as national officials were doing so illegally.

He asked the court to grant him and members of his faction control of the party.

Among his requests in the documents seen by TheCable are: “A DECLARATION that there being no valid election at the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the 23rd day of June 2018 at the Eagle Square, Abuja, thereby leaving a vacuum, the reform-minded FACTION of APC known as the REFORMED ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (R-APC) validly constituted the Plaintiffs and the other National Officers and State Executives of APC to fill the vacuum and act in interim capacities as officers of the APC.

“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st – 52nd Defendants from parading themselves or claiming to be officers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or performing any function as officers of the Party in any capacity whatsoever as their elections and swearing in as officers of APC are invalid, null and void.

“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the 53rd Defendant from holding out the 1st – 52nd Defendants as either National Officers, members of the National Working Committee , Zonal Executives or State Executives of the All progressives Congress (APC).

“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the 53rd Defendant from harassing, intimidating, suspending or expelling any of or all the Plaintiffs from the All Progressives Congress; or taking any steps whatsoever to harass, intimidate, suspend or expel or abridge or terminate the Plaintiffs’ membership, rights and entitlements in the All Progressives Congress.

“AN ORDER directing the 54th Defendant to recognize the Plaintiffs who are members of the reform-minded FACTION of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the current interim National Officers, members of the National Working Committee, Zonal Executives or State Executives of the All progressives Congress (APC) and accord them all rights and privileges appertaining to the respective offices pending the holding of valid elections by the Party.”

On Wednesday, the R-APC chairman wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking a cancellation of the election of Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the APC.

He alleged that the election which produced Oshiomhole was flawed.

But in a swift response, the ruling party said INEC lacked the powers to cancel what it did not conduct.

Galadima and some aggrieved members of the ruling party formed a breakaway faction a week ago.

On Monday, the group entered an alliance with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 37 political parties to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

The ruling party has dismissed the threats of the group.