the Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) (North West)
Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-Kadir(SAN) even as the Rights group affirmed that
such illegal action adopted by a section of the national hierarchy of
the ruling party in Nigeria without due respect for a subsisting action
before a competent court of law on the same subject matter is a direct
affront to the avowed principle of respect for rule of law as espoused
by President Muhammadu Buhari in almost all his public speeches.
HURIWA which specifically appeals to President Muhammadu Buhari To call
his national party officials to order and to stay action on any petition
against Inuwa Abdulkadir who is a life bencher of the Nigerian body of
benchers and one of the few most reputable nationalists in politics in
the Country, pending the determination of the pending and subsisting
court case on the same subject matter has also reminded the National
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Comrade Adams Oshiomhole that
as a one time tested and trusted Unionist and a two terms governor who
swore an oath to protect the sanctity of the constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria of 1999 (as amended) he(Adams Oshiomhole) must be
weary of associating himself with treacherous, anti-democratic and
unconstitutional actions such as the one manifested in the media
announcement from his governing board of the ruling All Progressives
Congress which purports to have expelled the substantive Vice Chairman
(North West) of his political formation- APC Alhaji Inuwa
Abdulkadir(SAN).
HURIWA reminds the APC that he who goes to equity must go with clean
hands just as the Rights group asked the officials not to throw stones
because they too live in glass house meaning that since they are the
officials charged with ensuring that the principle of Rule of law takes
preeminence at all times, they must not therefore be seen dancing naked
in the public square by undermining the supremacy of the Constitution.
HURIWA in a statement made available to the media has challenged the
national leadership of the All Progressives Congress to show good
example as a party that respects the tenets of the principle of the rule
of law in the sense that no adversarial action capable of undermining
the sacredness of the constitution should be linked to the party.
The Rights group stated that the reported expulsion or suspension of the
Vice Chairman of the party Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, a former Sokoto
state Attorney General and a former federal cabinet minister, without
fair hearing offends the fundamental kernel of the sanctity of the
principle of rule of law and amounts to disobedience of the judicial
powers of the federation clothed on the Courts of competent jurisdiction
including the Sokoto High Court of Justice which is currently handling a
legal challenge mounted by Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-Kadir questioning the
validity of the petition originated from the Sokoto state chapter of the
ruling party upon which the a section of the national leadership of the
All Progressives Congress relied on to reach the pre-determined but
altogether unconstitutional conclusion which in any event is a nullity
having regards to section 1(1) of the Nigerian Constitution which says
all provisions of the constitution are binding on all persons and all
authorities and section 36(5) which grants fair hearing to all citizens
even as section 6 gives the judicial powers of Nigeria to the Courts of
competent jurisdiction.
HURIWA has therefore disclosed that it will on Monday July 22nd send a
petition to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria His.
Excellency Muhammadu Buhari(GCFR) and the office of the Attorney General
of the Federation to urge them to uphold the sanctity of the
Constitution and stop the overzealous section of the executives of APC
at the national level from committing an outrageous rape of the grund
norm and the supreme law of the Constitution by compelling them to
reverse with immediate effect the kangaroo decision to expel the Vice
Chairman of APC Inuwa Abdulkadir even whilst a court matter is ongoing
on the same theme.
HURIWA recalled that the All Progressives Congress, APC, purportedly
expelled the Party’s National Vice Chairman (North West), Inuwa
Abdulkadir, over anti-party activities just as the Rights group stated
that the party disclosed this in a statement by its National Publicity
Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.
HURIWA disclosed as follows: ” We are shocked to read that the National
Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had
upheld the disciplinary actions of Magajin Gari “A” Ward, Sokoto North
Local Government, and the Party’s Sokoto State Executive Committee on
the Party’s National Vice Chairman (North West), Inuwa Abdulkadir over
anti-party activities. This unconstitutional decision to normalise what
looked like politically procured mob action from the ward level against
a respected national official of the party who had already gone to the
court to seek redress against these allegedly paid petitioners is
nothing but the worst case scenario for a political party that has
formed government at the center and which is more obliged to respect the
Constitution in other not to create room for anarchy and doom in the
body polity which they now govern as the party that has formed the
federal government of Nigeria for the time being. This ill-adviced
decision which breaches the Principle of Rule of law which President
Muhammadu Buhari preaches must be withdrawn forthwith or Nigerians will
view the current government as a pretender who has no regard for the
law”.
HURIWA disputes the claim that the party organs in Sokoto State had
earlier validly expelled Inuwa Abdulkadir and passed on their
recommendation to the NWC for ratification just as HURIWA faults the
Publicity secretary of APC who stated that the decision to uphold the
actions of the Sokoto APC organs was taken at a meeting of the NWC held
at the Party’s National Secretariat on Thursday. The Rights group says
it was unbecoming of some educated persons to pretend not to know that
once a matter is before a competent court of law you can’t take any
action that is targeted at foisting a fait accompli on the court because
Nigeria as a Country that depends on the viability of the Constitution
and the laws to exist as a constitutional democracy can’t at the same
time be seen to be dominated by officials who have scant regards for the
Constitution and the laws of the Federation of Nigeria. HURIWA said the
so- called expulsion of Inuwa Abdulkadir remains a nullity because it
was erected on illegality even as the Rights group said whatever is
built on illegality will inevitably collapse like a pack of cards when
subjected to the test of legal validity and sustainability.
HURIWA said it would amount to attacking the heart of the constitution
for the section of APC’s national secretariat to hang on to the tenuous
claim that he Abdulkadir failed to utilise the opportunity to defend
himself before the disciplinary committee set up by the NWC to look into
the various petitions received against certain members of our party
therefore following the suspension of Abdulkadir, the NWC will
subsequently forward the decision of the Sokoto State organs to the
Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) for further actions just as
the Rights group said this position lacks fundamental legal foundation
and must not stand. HURIWA said this decision is a colossal affront to
the constitution and represents the clearest disregard for President
Muhammadu Buhari’s acclaimed love for the Principle of Rule of law.