The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn into litigation war over control of the party structure by factions loyal to former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabi’u Mysa Kwankwaso, and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali. Since the decamping of a former State Chairman, Rabiu Suleman Bichi, from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), there has been loss of confidence on Kwankwaso and his group, deepening mutual suspicion and distrust of the former Kano governor’s loyalty to the PDP. The mutual suspicion and distrust were exacerbated by the history of the former governor’s erratic party membership – jumping from PDP to APC, them, back to PDP from the APC without ideological discipline. Kwankwaso is widely perceived in Kano State to be facing uncertainties, essentially, as he pursues his presidential ambition in the 2023 general elections.
Meanwhile, the litigation conflagration culminated into the halting of the state congress to elect new party leaders in the state by a Federal High Court in Kano. The court granted an interim order prohibiting the PDP from conducting local government and state congresses to elect new party executives.
Justice Lewis Allagoa had further restrained the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from delegating their staff to participate in or endorsing the congresses until final determination of the suit filed by Ali Baffa and two others who protest that they are being excluded from the ward congress of the party.
It was gathered that parties joined in the suit failed to show cause why the order should not be granted, thus, Justice Allagoa proceeded to grant the ex parte order. The judge, thereafter, adjourned the suit for hearing of the substantive motions.
The defection of former PDP State Chairman, Rabiu Suleman Bichi, to the APC, generated a battle for supremacy and control of the party structure between factions loyal to Kwankwaso and Aminu Wali. There is the suspicion that Bichi may have gone to the APC to prepare grounds for Kwankwaso’s defection to the ruling party. However, Kwankwaso’s conflagration with Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State threatens his return to the APC which is considered highly unsafe for him.