Following a statement alleging that the former Acting Governor of Taraba State, Sen. Sani Abubakar Danladi is one of the APC Stakeholders that are fueling the crisis bedeviling the party in the state, one of the chieftains of the party has debunked the allegation that was published on Daily Trust Newspaper, Monday 21/3/2022.
The APC Chieftain, Hon. Abdullahi Ade in a telephone interview with our Correspondent said he was shocked when he read the publication where Barr. Elsu-di made the allegation which he described as baseless.
He said the former Acting Governor and former Senator representing Taraba North, Sani Danladi is not in any way connected to the issue of a court case between the former ACP EXCO and some aggrieved members that El-Sudi accused him of bribing the Judge.
According to Ade, he is among members that purchased form to vie for one of the offices of the State Executives of the party, adding that they were the ones that filed a case at the Federal High Court that is sitting in Jalingo challenging what he called as kangaroo election.
“I’m one of the contestants who took Barrister Tukur El-Sudi led EXCO to the Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, and thank God in its judgment, the court sacked the Exco and ordered for fresh elections, so, it is not Sen. Sani Abubakar that took them to court, it is we the contestants, therefore, am advising Barr. Elsu-di as a senior Lawyer to go and apologize to the former Ag. Governor because he lacks evidence to present that Sen. Sani gave bribe to the judge.
“If not Sen. Sani Abubakar can decide to seek to take him to the court of law for defamation of character because he cannot compare himself with Sen. Sani Danladi in all ramifications.” Hon. Ade emphasized.
Also in a telephone interview, the embattled former ACP State Chairman, Barr. Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi said, “my evidence is that he has been telling his boys and even our boys too went there and heard him saying it, and I have a picture when court delivered the judgment that showed his boys dancing in his presence and that Indicated that he is the one sponsoring the case.” Elsu-di alleges.
Expressing optimism that the crisis will soon come to an end before the National Convention of the party scheduled for 26/3/2022, Barr. Elsu-di urged the aggrieved members to put aside their difference and join hands together to enable them to snatch power from the ruling PDP in the state come 2023.
Our Correspondent recalled that the Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, presided over by Justice Simon Amobeda had on Tuesday 1/3/2022 set aside the elections of the Taraba State All Progressives Congress (APC), conducted on the 24th Oct; 2021 which produced Barr. Ibrahim Elsudi as the state Chairman of the party and other executives.
Delivering judgment on a case filed by some aggrieved members of the party over the processes that led to the elections, the presiding judge, Justice Simon Amobeda, said the defendants had violated the guidelines of such elections as enshrined in the political party’s constitution.
He added that they had also gone ahead to conduct the election against the court order which was given to them before the election restraining them from conducting the elections.
However, speaking to newsmen shortly after the judgment, counsel to the defendant, Barr. John Odekena Esq. expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment and vowed to approach the appeal court after consulting his client.
On her part, Barr. Joy Ezekiel, counsel to the plaintiffs said the defendants had among other things failed to officially notify their members of the said election within 24 hours before the date of the election as stipulated in the guidelines of the party.
She expressed satisfaction with the judgment, stating that justice had prevailed at the end of a battle that started in the year 2021.
Sani Sulaiman/Jalingo