APC MUBI NORTH HAS NO POWER TO EXPEL ME, SEN. ABBO TELLS COURT

The Senator representing Adamawa Northern Senatorial District, Ishaku Abbo, says the Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress(APC) Mubi North Local Government Area has no power whatsoever to expel from the party.

It is against this backdrop that the Senator has prayed the State High Court of Justice presided by Hon. Justice Danladi Mohammed, to dismiss suit seeking an order to restrain him from re-contesting.

Already, the presiding judge of the trial court has reserved judgement in suit instituted against the Senator by 2 members of the party from Mubi North LGA, saying that the date would be communicated to the parties.

The APC members, Abdullahi Suleiman and Yusha'u Usman of Kolere and Sabon Layi wards, Mubi North LGA, respectively, sued the Senator and sought for an interpretation regarding his status in APC.

The plaintiffs through their Counsel, Abubakar Ali esq, urged the court to declare that Sen. Abbo, is not entitled to be a candidate of the APC in the forthcoming general election in the zone since according to them he had been expelled.

But at the hearing of the matter on Thursday, Counsel to the Senator, E. O. Odo esq, informed the court that his client has not been formally communicated by APC or anybody whatsoever that he had been expelled from the party.

He argued that his client had not committed any breach of the Constitution of the party as alleged by the plaintiffs to warrant being punished at all by the party or any of its organ.

He stated that nobody ever attempted to personally serve Senator Abbo, with the said complaint or any complaint whatsoever before the decision to expel him from the party was taken.

He explained that the party's Constitution provides that where it is proposed to expel a member of the exco, political office holder, or a member of the legislative house from membership of the party, such a proposal shall be submitted to the National exco, which decision shall be final.

According to him, for the plaintiffs to show that the Senator has been expelled, they need to provide the decision of the National exco of the party on the subject, saying that in the absence of that, the plaintiffs have proven nothing and will not be entitled to any of the reliefs sought.

He told the court that the freedom of thought conscience and religion and the freedom of expression of any person cannot be limited by membership of a political party.

He insisted that the Senator has a right as a Nigerian to express his opinion on National issues including the choice of the APC's presidential flag bearer and running mate.

He further argued that the defendant has never engaged in any anti-party activities of any kind and has also not tampered with the process of internal democracy of the APC in any way.

He challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit which relates to the subject in which the plaintiffs have not any special or sufficient interest, saying that suit relates to membership of a political party, a subject that is not justiciable among other reasons.

E.O. Odo esq, also contended that even if the court has the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the suit, it should be dismissed on its merit as the plaintiffs have not proven their entitlement to the reliefs sought. 

On his part, Counsel to the plaintiffs, Abubakar Ali esq, had while addressing the court, urged it to discountenance all the submissions of the Counsel to the defendant and grant all the reliffs sought by the plaintiffs.