Sokoto APC crisis: Appeal court sacks Gada’s faction, affirms Wamakko’s

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has nullified the judgment of the FCT high court delivered on December 16, 2021, which affirmed Mainasara Sani’s faction as the All Progressives Congress (APC) executives in Sokoto State.

Three factions had been claiming leadership of the party in the state. The factions consist of the one loyal to a former governor of the state and current senator representing Sokoto South, Aliyu Wamakko; then that of former senator Isa Abubakar Gada, while the third favours a current House of Representative member, Hon Balarabe Salame, in conjunction with the speaker of the state’s House of Assembly.

The Thursday Court of Appeal judgement affirmed the Senator Aliyu Wamakko camp led by Alhaji Isa Achida as the authentic executives of the APC in the state.

The Wamakko camp had produced Isa Sadiq Achida as the state chairman of the party upon conclusion of its state congress, but the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, declared Mainasara Sani as the legitimate state chairman of the party in a state congress organised by the Senator Gada-led faction.

But delivering judgement on the matter yesterday, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani nullified the judgement of the Abuja high court, stating that it had no jurisdiction to entertain a matter on an issue that happened in Sokoto State.

Justice Tsammani held that, “This court and the supreme had on many occasions made pronouncements on matters of jurisdiction. Bringing these kinds of cases, you are asking us to sit over our own judgement. We should know that where a matter happened, that is where it should be addressed.

“How can someone come all the way from Sokoto to Abuja on a matter that should be addressed there? It is all these kinds of arrangements we frown at, and even the Supreme Court frowns at. I also strike out the suit on the basis of lack of jurisdiction.

“Federal High Court, Abuja, has jurisdiction only on matters arising from Abuja. FCT high court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter. Any stake, including decision and judgement done at the high court, is nullity.”