The crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) deepened on Wednesday as 22 Senators and 57 House of Representatives
members dragged the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur,
before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in a bid to stop the party from
declaring their seats vacant.
The 79 lawmakers, who defected to the
new faction of the party, had, through their counsel, Tairu Adebayo, filed the
suit at the registry of the court wherein they stated that the division within
the party necessitated the holding of a parallel convention and that they were
justified legally to defect.
They had joined along with Bamanga
Tukur, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Reps, PDP and the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th
defendants, respectively.
The applicants are asking the
court to determine whether, considering the circumstances in the national and
various state chapters of the PDP, there exists a faction or division within
the party.
They also asked whether any of the
plaintiffs or other members of the PDP holding elective seats, who desire to
become a member of another faction of the party or any other political party,
is not saved by the proviso to section 68 (1) (g) of the constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
The lawmakers also asked whether in
view of the proviso to section 68 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, the 1st defendant or any other officer of
the 4th defendant or authority howsoever described can declare the seats of any
of the plaintiffs or other members of the 4th defendant that opted to join
another political party vacant in the present peculiar and precarious
circumstance of the 4th defendant.
They, therefore, asked the court to
declare that the circumstances prevailing in the various state chapters of the
party, which led to factions/divisions as witnessed at the Special National
Convention of the 4th defendant, held on 31st August, 2013 and holding of a
parallel convention simultaneously at another venue, followed up with the
opening of a parallel National Head Office and release of the names of new
parallel national officers constitute and qualify as crisis and divisions
anticipated under section 68 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
They also sought a declaration that
any of the plaintiffs or other members of the party who, pursuant to the crisis
that led to factions/divisions in the 4th defendant, joined or desires to join
another political party is/are saved by the proviso to section 68 (1) (g) of
the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended without
losing his/their elective seats.
The lawmakers also prayed the court
to declare that in view of the proviso to section 68 (1) (g) of the
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, whether the
1st defendant or any other officer of the 4th defendant or any person or
authority whatsoever cannot declare vacant the seats of any of the plaintiffs
or other members of the 4th defendant that joined or who may desire to become
members of another political party in view of the present crisis that created
factions /divisions in the 4th defendant vacant.
The lawmakers are also seeking an
order restraining the 2nd and 3rd defendants from conducting any proceeding in
their respective chambers aimed at declaring the seat (s) of any of the
plaintiffs or other members of the 4th defendant who joined or intended to
become members of another political party vacant in view of the present
circumstance in the 4th defendant.
They further prayed for an order
restraining the 5th defendant from accepting nominations of any purported
candidate and conducting by-election aimed at filling the seats of any of the
plaintiffs or other members of the 4th defendant who joined or may wish to
become members of another political party in view of the present circumstances
in the 4th defendant.
The case has not yet been assigned to
any judge.
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Politics