July 18, (THEWILL) – Justice Nuhu S. Adi, presiding judge of the Taraba State High Court, has ordered immediate reinstatement of Inuwa Bakari, as acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.
The court declared the occupation of the office of Taraba PDP chairman by Abubakar Bawa as “invalid, unconstitutional, null and void”.
The judgement followed a suit numbered TRSJ/62/2023, filed by Ibrahim Abdullahi, Shaning S. Moses and Inuwa Bakari, against the PDP and Abubakar Bawa.
Following the resignation of Agbu Kefas (now governor of the state), in 2022, as chairman of the Taraba State chapter of the PDP, Bakari, the deputy chairman, had taken over as acting chairman.
The Plaintiffs filed the suit to challenge the appointment of Bawa as chairman of the Taraba chapter of the PDP in March.
In its ruling on Tuesday, the court ordered Bawa to stop parading himself as chairman of the party in the State.
The judgement reads in part: “By the provisions of article 47(6) of the PDP constitution, the power to appoint the person to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the outgoing Taraba State chairman of the People’s Democratic Party is the Taraba State Executive Committee and not the National Working Committee of the defendant.
“That the appointment of the 2nd defendant, Abubakar Bawa by the National Working Committee of the 1st defendant as the substantive chairman of the Taraba State chapter of the 1st defendant is invalid, unconstitutional, null and void.
“That the 1st defendant is bound by law to observe and comply with the provisions of the article 47(6) of the 1st defendant’s constitution in the appointment of a substantive chairman for Taraba State chapter of the 1st defendant.
“That the purported appointment of the 2nd defendant, Abubakar Bawa as the substantive chairman of the Taraba State chapter of the 1st defendant is hereby set aside.
“The 2nd defendant, Abubakar Bawa, his agents, servants or proxies by whatsoever name called are restrained from occupying, continuing to occupy, functioning, acting, performing the role or assuming the status and office of the chairman of Taraba State chapter of the 1st defendant.
“The 3rd plaintiff, Alhaji Inuwa Bakari shall continue to act as chairman of the Taraba State chapter of the 1st defendant pursuant to article 45 (2) and (4) of the defendant’s constitution.”
