By Ayo Kehinde
Ahead of the Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo as well as legislative By-Elections in Bayelsa and Cross River states, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee,Governor Mai Mala Buni has called for reconciliation of crisis in the party in South south geo-political zone.
At a meeting held behind closed door, at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday, Governor Buni charged the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva to work together and lead the party’s efforts to reconcile aggrieved party members and reposition the party, particularly in the South South region. He urged the Ministers to play lead roles in bringing together party members and stakeholders to ensure that the APC is victorious.
“We have agreed that both of us will work together”, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi told journalists while accompanied by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva after the meeting with Governor Mai Mala Buni, according to Mr Yekini Nabena, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, ordered substituted service of court processes on Governor Buni, who is Chairman, National and 11 others in a suit challenging the dissolution of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo ordered that the summons be pasted at the entrance of the National Secretariat of the APC at No: 40, Blantyre Street, Wuse, Abuja.
This followed complaint by plaintiff in the matter, Mr Kalu Kalu, that the respondents had been evading service of court summons since they got wind of the suit.
Others affected by the order are Governor Sani Bello of Niger State, Senator Ken Nnamani, Isiaka Oyebola, Dr James Lalu, Senator Abubakar Yusuf, Rep. Akinyemi Olaide, David Leon, Prof. Tahir Mamman, Ismail Ahmed and Sen. Akpan Udoedehe.
In a ruling after an exparte motion was argued by the plaintiff on behalf of himself, Justice Taiwo ordered that the originating summons and other processes in the matter be served on 3rd to 14 defendants by posting same on the entrance gate of the APC Headquarters in Abuja, since the party is the second defendant in the matter.
The judge held that if the service was effected by the court bailiff as directed, it shall be deemed good and proper.
He then adjourned the matter till September 4 for hearing.
Kalu, a Youth Leader of APC in Abia State, is challenging the powers of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party to sack the national leaders barely two years out of their constitutionally guaranteed four-year term of office.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/736/2020, the plaintiff asked for an order of the court, setting aside the dissolution of the NWC by APC’s NEC meeting held at the Presidential Villa , Abuja, last month.
He also asked the court for an order restraining the National Caretaker Committee members led by Buni from parading themselves as national officers of the APC and from usurping the functions of the party’s NWC, among other prayers.
