Late Abubakar Audu’s sons APC over Kogi primary

One of the sons of former Kogi state governor, Prince Abubakar Audu, who was disqualified from participating in the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state, Mustapha Audu, has dragged the party before a Lokoja High Court seeking to upturn the outcome of the primary.

Mustapha Audu had tried unsuccessfully to stop the primary which was concluded on Thursday and won by Governor Yahaya Bello.

In the suit for which no date has been fixed for mention, Audu alleged he was unjustly excluded from the primary by the National Working Committee.

He claimed that he met all the traditional criteria of being selected and has been selected as one of the governorship aspirants of the party but was excluded from the exercise by the NWC without going through the laid down process for the selection of the aspirants.

He also claimed that “the Defendant National Working Committee unjustly excluded the Claimant name in the list of cleared aspirants being a power unknown to the history and tradition of ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS and which sought to usurp the Claimants’ rights known as Governorship Aspirant.”

He therefore asked the court to make a declaration that his exclusion of the list of governorship aspirants is breach of his right to fair hearing and that is unconstitutional, null and void, a declaration that the Defendants’ conduct of its screening exercise was in breach of the letters and spirit of the party Constitution.

He is also seeking an order of court directing the party to include his name on the list of those contesting the party primary.

Mustapha was disqualified for allegedly not being a member of the party and not including his birth certificate/declaration of age in his nomination form.