Court restrains Senator Gwarzo from participating in PDP N/West zonal congress

A Kaduna State High Court sitting in Zaria, Kaduna State, has restrained the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from allowing Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo from participating in its February 12 North West Zonal Congress.

The congress is being held to among other things elect the Vice Chairman (North) of the party, a position Gwarzo is contesting against the Kwankwasiyya Movement-backed consensus candidate of Mohammed Jamo.

Daily Trust reports that Gwarzo is of the Ambassador Aminu Wali led faction of PDP in Kano, while Jamo is the preferred candidate of former governor of the state, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

Court papers obtained by Daily Trust in Kano on Thursday revealed that the order was given by Justice K. Dabo on February 9 following an exparte motion filed by one Idris Abdullahi against the PDP; it’s chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu; Hon Shehu Wada Sagagi (the Kano PDP Chairman loyal to Kwankwaso); Gwazo and the Caretaker Committee chairman of PDP North-West zone.

The judge also granted an interim injunction specifically barring Gwarzo “from contesting for any elective position in the forthcoming 1st Respondent’s (PDP) North-West Congress pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice”.

The judge also ordered that PDP should “maintain status quo on the suspension of the 4th Respondent (Gwarzo) pending the hearinf and determination of the motion on notice.”

The court thereafter adjourned the matter to March 14 for the hearing of the motion on notice.

Meanwhile, the Sagagi-PDP executive in Kano has reiterated that Gwarzo remain suspended from the party for alleged anti-party activities in the 2019 elections.

The statement glaringly stated that Senator Bello Hayatu worked for Governor Ganduje’s re-election and he was rewarded by appointing his aide as the Managing Director, Kano Zoological Garden and some Special Advisers in Ganduje’s administration.

‘Purported Suspension plot schemed to stop congress’

But commenting on the development, Muhammina Bako Lamido, the party Chairman from the Ambassador Aminu Wali led faction of PDP in Kano said that the Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso-led faction of the party lacks good understand of how the political party works.

Lamido said that only the national leadership of the party has the power to suspend the former senator, saying the alleged suspension is a plot schemed to stop the rescheduled Northwest Zonal Congress.

Lamido said, “They lack good understanding of how the PDP works. Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo is a member of the PDP BoT and NWC.

“The Northwest Zonal Congress to be conducted on Saturday is not a fresh election, but rather it’s a completion of a process that began since April 9, 2021.

“Senator Bello Hayatu is a contender. He purchased the form and he was screened by the national body of the party. There is no bases for the said suspension as the Kwankwaso-led faction of the party cannot tell us whether the suspension is on fresh charges or not. This is just a political machinations that will change nothing.”