From Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo on Tuesday ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the state chairman of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi, not to recognise any other persons as chairmen of the five Local Government Areas in Southern Taraba besides those who were genuinely elected by the party’s congress.
Delivering judgement in a suit filed by Barrister Pius Damba Esq, counsel to Habu Abdulrahman and others, Justice Simon Amobeda, of the Federal High Court Jalingo said that it was no cogent reason for the state party Chairman to rely on a letter purportedly conveyed to him by the National Organising Secretary of the party to replace the duly elected party officials with some other persons.
The judge ordered that the status quo must be maintained.
Our correspondent recalls that the Taraba state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC Alhaji Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi had on Sunday sworn in and inaugurated four-party local government chairmen for Takum, Ussa, Ibi and Wukari local government areas of the state.
El-Sudi who supervised the oath-taking and inauguration of the officials at the party secretariat in Jalingo noted that he was following the directives given to him by the national secretariat of the party.
He said that following the inauguration of the new officials, those who were previously elected and sworn in and replaced should no longer parade themselves as party officials.
“In a bid to correct the anomaly that ensued at our national convention, I wrote to the national secretariat to seek the authentic list of delegates from the National secretariat. The national secretariat gave me a list of new people from these four local government areas and I am obliged to work with them.
“I will have to swear them in as demanded by our constitution. Whoever is not comfortable with this should please lias with the national secretariat for clarification. I am only following the order given to me” he had said.
However, widespread protest followed the swearing-in of the new officials with some groups alleging that the chairman had compromised and called for his resignation or sack.