The crisis rocking the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) took a new dimension over the weekend as the National Legal Adviser Ahmad Usman El- Marzuq recommends the expulsion of the National Vice Chairman, Northwest, Salihu Lukman.
El-Marzuq accused Lukman of escalating and externalising the internal crisis of the party by dragging the party, the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore to court for an alleged breach of party constitution.
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The recommendations of the NLA were contained in a memo he submitted to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, advising the party on steps to take to address the legal action taken by the Zonal Chairman.
It was gathered that the Legal Adviser memo was at the instance of the National Chairman, who sought the advice of the NLA.
It was further learnt that the document will be used to determine Lukman’s fate at the proposed NWC meeting slated for Wednesday, May 3rd at the party National Secretariat in Abuja.
In the memo dated 28th of April to the National Chairman and copied to National Secretary, all NWC members and the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), the NLA said in his “legal opinion” Lukman’s action of instituting a court action over the failure to convene meetings of the relevant party organs as mandated by the APC Constitution, should attract expulsion from the party.
It will be recalled that the Zonal Chairman had on Thursday last week commenced legal action against the leadership of tbe NWC following its refusal to consider two letters emanating from him, one if which gave a 7-day ultimatum to the National Chairman to commence the process to convene the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting before May 29, 2023.
According to the National Legal Adviser, “It is settled in law that, no Court has the jurisdiction to hear and determine complaints or matters about intra-party disputes of political parties.
It has long been settled by the Supreme Court in Onuoha v. Okafor & Ors. (1983) 14 NSCLR 494 at 499 – 507 that, where the relief sought is on leadership of or intra-party dispute between members of a same political party or between a member or and the political party, only the party can resolve the dispute”.
Efforts to get Salihu Lukman’s reaction were unsuccessful, as he could not be reached.
(Editor: Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie)
