Kwankwaso supporters in rough waters as court sacks faction in Kano

Supporters of the former governor of Kano state and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP) Rabiu Kwankwaso are swimming against the tide as an Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has set aside the decision of a Federal High Court which recognised Alhaji Shehu Sagagi, one of key ally, as the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

While Kwankwaso had long defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP), where he is the party’s presidential candidate, the Sagagi faction of the PDP is said to still be loyal to him and the faction is backed by Kwankwaso in what many see as anti-party activities on all fronts.

However, some members of the party had accused Sagagi and his supporters in the party of acting as spoilers to favour Kwankwaso and had gone to court to seek his removal.

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The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP had also on March 29, dissolved the state, local and ward executive committees of the state chapter of the party and appointed a six-man caretaker committee as replacement.

But on May 25, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Kano issued an injunction restraining the PDP leadership from removing Sagagi from office until the end of his tenure in December 2024.

But on Monday, the appellate court set aside Justice Taiwo’s judgment, reasoning that the matter was an internal affair and that the party had powers to dissolve the Kano executives.

The three-man panel of judges led by Peter Ige unanimously held that the decision of the PDP’s NWC to dissolve the Executive Committees at all levels in Kano State and the appointment of members of the caretaker committee cannot be challenged in a court, as it is contrary to the PDP constitution.