A Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto has affirmed Sadiq Achida as the duly elected chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC in Sokoto state.
The chairmanship of the party in Sokoto state has been a subject of ligation between Sadiq Achida and Mainasara Abubakar since the party held a parallel state Congress at different venues in the state.
After the state’s congresses held last year, two leaders emerged for APC in the state, the Isa Sadiq Achida led executive which were supported by Senator Aliyu Wamakko and and the Mainasara Abubakar Sani’s executive backed by Senator Abubakar Gada.
An Abuja High Court had earlier declared Mainasa-led faction as the elected executives of APC in Sokoto, but the judgement was set aside by the Appeal court which said the lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.
It was after the Appellant Court’s verdict that the Mainasara led faction came to Federal High Court, Sokoto, and filed a fresh case.
Delivering the judgement on Wednesday, the Presiding Judge, Justice James Omotosho, dismissed the suit file by the Mainasara-led APC faction.
According to him, the case should have been filed within 14 days since the Appellant court judgement which set aside the Abuja High Court judgement on the matter.
Justice Omotosho also averred that the congress that produced the Mainasara-led executive committee was not conducted at the party Secretariat which negated guidelines set up by APC for the conduct of States’ congresses.
Additionally, he said that, based on the report of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Achida-led executives were the only recognised leadership of the party in the state.
Justice Omotosho had earlier dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the counsel to Achida
