KATSINA STATE PDP HOLDS CONGRESS AMIDST CRISIS 13-08-24
By Sadiq Aminu The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State has held its Local Government Congresses across the state where Local Government party executives and 34 national delegates were elected.
Africa 247 correspondent who monitored the process in some Local Government Areas reports that the election was peaceful despite the presence of two factions of the party in the state.
The Mustafa Inuwa-led faction had dragged the state party leadership to court asking the court to stop the ongoing congresses which it said was hijacked by the party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, Sen. Yakubu Lado.
The Inuwa-led faction is accusing Lado of sabotaging the party and crippling its chances of winning elections in the state, an allegation which the party leadership has denied.
Meanwhile in Rimi Local Government Area, the Electoral Officer, Alhaji Tijjani Mashasha coordinated the process in the presence of INEC supervisors as well as police and DSS operatives.
“A total of thirty delegates participated in the election and they have elected 18 Local Government executives and one national delegate.
“A fortnight ago we conducted the ward congresses across the state, it had a large turnout of party members and it was also peaceful and orderly.
“Our hope is to recapture Katsina State and to recapture Nigeria, only PDP leadership can bring about sustainable development in this country”, Mashasha said.
Asked why they went ahead with the congresses despite an ongoing court case with the other faction of the party, Mashasha said the party leadership has not received any court order stopping the congresses.
However, counsel to the Inuwa-led faction, Barr. Mustafa Shitu described the ongoing party congresses as illegal, noting that the the matter is already before the court.
“We are surprised that the PDP leadership has gone ahead to conduct these Congresses despite the fact that the matter is before the court.
“The National leadership of the party at Wadata Plaza Abuja, has been served and they have also been served through their counsel, Godwin Uche SAN following the suit filed by our own side through Dayo Akinlaja, SAN.
“We represent more than seven thousand bonafide party members in the state who have rejected the illegal party congresses because they are being held in violation of legal procedure.
“Once a matter is before the court, both parties are expected to restrain themselves from going ahead with the process that is in contention”.
“We have seen many cases where such illegality happens and then the court decides to cancel the whole process”, Barr. Shitu said.