Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress have dragged a national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, its National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, the Independent National Electoral Commission and two others to court alleging imposition of candidates in the just-concluded congresses of the party in Lagos State.
The plaintiffs, Mr. Akinniyi Akinsiju, Michael Ajayi and three others, filed the suit on behalf of members of the New Lagos Movement, a faction of the party.
In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos on Monday, the claimants alleged that the defendants imposed their cronies as against candidates who contested and won party offices in the ward, local and state congresses held in April.
Among other things, they demanded “an order nullifying and setting aside the results of the Local Government Congresses of the 4th defendant (APC) declared in Lagos State on the 12th day of April, 2014 as same do not represent the actual outcome of the electoral processes and are mere concoctions of the 1st defendant (Tinubu) by which he actually imposed his loyalists as party leaders.
“An order nullifying the results of the state congress of the 4th defendant declared in Lagos State on the 26th day of April, 2014 as same do not represent products of genuine electoral processes and are mere concoctions of the 1st defendant by which he actually imposed his loyalists as party leaders.
In their statement of claim filed by their counsel, Nurudeen Ogbara, the claimants listed several breaches allegedly committed by the defendants in Surulere Local Government Area of the state where Tinubu allegedly in connivance with Femi Gbajabiamila, a member of the House of Representatives, declared false results and awarded offices to their stooges.
This is even as it has postponed its planned National Executive Council meeting earlier scheduled for Tuesday.
According to a statement by the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, in Abuja Tuesday, the party held an emergency meeting to deliberate on the Boko Haram issue.
The APC described the action of the girls’ abductors in forcing them to make statements against their personal convictions as utterly barbaric.
It reminded the abductors that Nigeria is a secular state and that the country’s constitution recognises the rights of the citizens to any religion of their choice.
“This whole abduction saga has hit at the very soul of our nation. But just when we felt we had all witnessed the worst atrocity by the primitive and brutal group called Boko Haram, we are confronted with a totally repulsive scene of teenage girls, literally with guns to their heads, being forced to say they have converted to Islam.
“This is appalling, distasteful and unacceptable under any circumstance and we condemn it with all the strength we can muster,’’ the APC said.
The party urged the government to critically study the latest video by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau to see what other measures can be added to the ongoing international efforts to find and rescue the girls.
‘’We have consistently said some form of negotiation cannot and should not be ruled out to pry our nation from the grip of these terrorists and ensure the safety and security of our citizens.
‘’In this regard, we consider as prudent the government’s reaction that ‘all options are on the table’ to safely reunite our girls with their families,’’ it said.
Our correspondent learnt that the meeting, which was earlier meant to deliberate on party issues, was converted to an emergency meeting to discuss the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction considering the mood of the nation.
A party source confided in our correspondent, “We cannot be playing politics at this time, considering the mood of the nation. We had to devote today’s meeting to the Chibok abduction.”
Meanwhile, the Al-Habibiya Islamic Society has condemned the abduction of the schoolgirls.
The group’s Chief Missionary, Sheikh Imam Adeyemi, said in Abuja on Tuesday, that the war against the murderous Boko Haram sect was one that should unite Nigerians irrespective of ethnic, religious or political persuasions.
According to him, many members of the group have been fasting from the day of the abductions without caring whether the girls are Christians or Muslims because they are Nigerians and most importantly, they are human beings.
He said, “In Chibok, from what we have gathered, families have amongst them Muslims and Christians, in some case, born of same parents. From the list of some of the schoolgirls, Christians bear Muslim names.
“We even read that the Amirah of that school that is spiritual leader of Muslim students, was one of those abducted by Boko Haram.
“In our holy Quran (Q17 v 70) that true Muslims refer to, Allah said he has dignified all human creatures, no matter their religion or social status and by this, it is mandatory on all true Muslims to respect all humans.”
Copyright PUNCH.