More Local Government party officials in Gombe State have come out in defense of the expulsion of former Governor Muhammad Danjuma Goje, Senator representing Gombe Central, from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) amidst an existing Federal High Court injunction restraining the action.
A chain of support for the expulsion of the embattled Senator who is also waiting to be sworn-in for another term in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, has continued to pour in from other Local Government Areas outside the Senator’s constituency.
But reacting to the expulsion, Saidu Muazu Kumo, a senior legislative aide to the senator, said they would rather keep mum over the issue until the determination of a restraining order instituted and served to the Kashere Ward executives of the APC even before they announce Goje’s expulsion.
According to Saidu Muazu, a legal practitioner, the case had been in court even before the purported expulsion in Kashere on 18th of April 2023.
He said, “there was a court order, and the party (APC) was served in Kashere on the 16th and 17th of April 2023 that they should restrain, they should go to court to hear all the complaints of Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje at the Federal High Court Abuja, but they went ahead to do the purported expulsion.
“As lawyers, we have been admonished not to talk when a case is still in court. We don’t have anything to say until when the matter is heard and determined by the court of law.
“We are operating a constitutional democracy in Nigeria, so, you cannot do anything that contradicts the power of the court, and you think you will succeed”, he emphasized.
He also described the action of the APC in Kashere Ward as ‘subjudice’ adding that adoption of the expulsion by other party executives from other Local Governments of the state was more like “building something on nothing”.
He said, “they are building their foundation on what the Kashere Ward executives had done. So, it doesn’t matter, it is just like building something on nothing. What they did today is not something new, they are still insisting on what the Kashere Ward did on 18th April, 2023”.
He called on Goje’s supporters across the country to remain calm and wait for the outcome of the court judgement. He added that, “what we know is that Senator Goje is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a senator elect for Gombe Central Senatorial zone under the APC”.
The APC as a party and its Kashere Ward Chairman, Tanimu Abdullahi who appeared on the restraining court order as defendants were expected to appear in the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday 20th April 2023.
In the meantime, several local government party officials of the APC across the state, have on 26th April 2023, continued to endorse Goje’s expulsion and passing a vote of confidence on the incumbent Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya as the leader of the party in the state.
They have also congratulated the governor, the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all others elected under the APC over their victories during the 2023 general elections.
In their address to the press, held simultaneously across nine LGAs on the 26th of April, 2023 while two LGAs held their’s on the 25th, the party chairmen expressed among others, serious concern over charges of grave misconduct and anti-party activities against some party members and officials in Gombe State during the recently concluded general elections which undermined the success of the party and caused serious harm to the party’s unity and progress.
In Billiri LGA where our correspondent attended the briefing, the secretary of the party, Boyi Gidado who read the statement on behalf of the Chairman, Isyaku Zakari, called on party executives at all levels to take appropriate disciplinary measures against any party member and officials who committed anti-party activities before, during and after the elections with a view to entrenching intraparty discipline and sanitizing the party from unscrupulous and double-faced elements.
They said, never again would the party fold its hands and allow unpatriotic individuals hold the party to ransom or commit any act capable of undermining its success, internal cohesion and unity.
They enjoined loyal party members to close ranks and support the decision of the party in order to build a more cohesive and stronger APC.
