.Danger Looms For Imo APC Candidates
Another round of fear is consuming APC faithful in Imo State if reports available to Trumpeta are to be taking serious.
From what the newspaper gathered, the new regime of uncertainty has to do with the status of those carrying the party’s flag for the coming 2023 elections.
This is predicated on a recent court ruling in Abuja, where a High Court made a mess of the party’s candidates for the 2023 election.
In last Friday’s ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the of the FCT High Court, it declared null and void actions the Yobe state did when he acted as the Interim Nat Exco chairman of the APC.
Trumpeta recalls that within the period Mai Mala Buni was in charge of the party, his regime brought about the national exco and national working committee that midwife the emergence of the party’s candidates for the 2023 elections.
Using the nomination of Governor Isiaka Oyetola of Osun state, who was APC Governorship Candidate for the 2022 election, as a test case, the judge nullified his nomination on the basis that both Oyetola and his Deputy, Benedict Alabi were products of Mai Mala Buni during the interim national exco regime, the same things goes for Senator Abdulahi Adamu National Exco that produced the candidates for the elections.
Ruling on a suit filed by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP challenging the nomination of Oyetola and Alabi, Justice Emeka Nwite agreed with the submission of the PDP on the grounds that Governor Mai Mala Buni who submitted their names to INEC violated the provisions of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Trumpeta learnt that the court declared that Governor Mai Mala Buni acted in contravention of the provision of Section 183 of the Constitution when he held dual executive positions as the Governor of Yobe State and the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of APC.
The provisions of Section 183 reads in part: “The Governor, shall not, during the period he holds office, holds any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever.”
Interpretation of the court action from what this newspaper learnt shows that the ruling in its current subsisting nature, means that all actions of Buni while in office as APC acting boss, stand invalidated.
Part of the actions of Mala Buni includes but not limited to the conduct of APC convention that gave birth to the emergence of Adamu led exco who in turn produced the party’s flag bearers for the 2023 elections.
Fresh fears have enveloped the party that should their opponents approach the courts same way the PDP in Osun did, those affected risk losing their chances to be elected in the coming election.
The biggest threat hanging on the neck of the ruling APC, is the possible consequential disqualification of all its candidates for the 2023 poll, including those from Imo State APC considering that Adamu’s NWC, conducted the primaries.
Once the NWC is invalidated by the reason of Buni’s involvement, all actions of the NWC, would be deemed null and void.
