APM DISAPPOINTED AS INEC STILL RECOGISES SACKED PARTY NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

 

...APM Registered Trustees' Secretary appeals to Its members, members of the Public and other Stakeholders for calm  as INEC continues to recognise Yusuf Mamman  Dantalle as National Chairman of the Party despite haven been served  The Order of High Court sitting In Abuja  sacking the Yusuf Mamman  Dantalle Led National Working Committee.

 Allied Peoples Movement, (APM), one of the top most political parties in Nigeria has expressed it's disappointment towards the ugly attitude the Independent National  Electoral Commission, INEC, has continued to show in regards to it's internal party leadership crisis aimed at strengthening internal democratic processes.

Earlier, the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, suspended its National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle in a due process as spelt out in the party's constitution on an account of fraud and unconstitutional party practices and appointed an acting National Chairman in person of Mrs. Rose Gyar  to head the affairs of the party.

Few weeks into her leadership, however, a judgement was passed by the Federal High Court in Abuja declaring all party offices vacant. 

The party alleged that all these unfoldings, INEC has been written and copied appropriately, but yet, still chooses to deal with the sacked Yusuf Mamman Dantalle as still the National Chairman of the party.

According to the party  Secretary of the Registered Trustees of the Allied Peoples' Movement (APM) Sir (Barr) Michael Awiya PH.D while disclosing on behalf of the party it's grievance on INEC appealed to genuine and committed members of the party as well as other stakeholders  to remain calm even in the wake of provocation by INEC as the commission continues to recognise and deal with Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, the former National Chairman of the party even after the dissolution of all interim structures of the party and powers transferred to the Registered Trustees of the party by a Federal High Court judgement delivered on 20th May, 2022 in Abuja.

The party also alleged that Yusuf Mamman Dantalle has boasted that he has a godfather in INEC, Aminu Idris

Director, Department of Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) and as  such all party unfoldings sent to the commission wouldn't get to the Chairman of the commission for appropriate actions.

While making the appeal, the Secretary urged  members of the party from across the states to remain focused, law abiding and determined that all would be resolved in no distance time and without affecting the party' s participation in activities of the forth coming general elections.

Awiya made this known while receiving representatives of the party from across the states at the party's registered secretariat located at 26 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja on Friday. Their visit was to enquire why the former National Chairman and National Secretary, Yusuf Dantalle and Ayodele Oyadeyi Adebayo who still parade themselves as such respectively. In addition, they also frowned at the action of Yusuf Mamman Dantalle who is still  representing the party in the Inter Party Advisory Council (I0AC) and also as the National Secretary of the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), even when he is no longer a representative of the party, as his office in the party is no longer in existence. 

The visiting members added that in the interest of the  citizens and the general public who could become innocent victims by dealing with Yusuf Dantalle and his cronies in respect to the affairs of the party and called on the  Registered Trustees to take urgent necessary action to forestall a reoccurrence of the fraud perpetrated by Yusuf Dantalle,  particularly during the period of electioneering process, with specific reference to the Anambra State Guberatorial election where Dantalle  illegally collected N16m party's nomination fee from the candidate through his personal account while the party has functional bank account with statutory signatories as prescribed by the party's constitution.

 They lamented that INEC at National Headquarters and State offices have continued to recognise Dantalle and his cronies across the states posing as State Chairmen to the detriment of the party, and yet that the Registered Trustees in whose hands the court has now vested power is still tolerating. This they said is not acceptable as innocent citizens are being made victims of their dubious  activities, and it has  become obvious that they are not interested in growing the party and establishing a sustainable  platform for citizens to exercise their franchise,  but only concerned about 'the money they can hurriedly make under INEC protection' for  now.

 The visiting members called on the Registered Trustees of the party to reach out to the  National Chairman of INEC and bring to his notice the support and patronage of Dantalle by  some officers in the department of Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) that would soon smear the good work INEC is currently doing under the leadership of Prof. Mamoud Yakubu  to build confidence of citizens and other stakeholders in the democratic space, especially towards ensuring internal party democracy.

In a reaction to the press men on 5th February, 2022, when a Purported  NEC was constituted and announced the sack of the party's BOT, the Board Chairman, Muhammed Bagana informed the press that the action of the State Chairmen was orchestrated by Dantalle as a smoke screen to cover his fraudulent and criminal activities already in the public domain that made the BOT chairman and members  to confront  him and requested that he stepped aside in the interest of the party to demonstrate commitment to the Motto of the party which is INTEGRITY SACRIFICE SERVICE. This they thought was a soft landing for Dantalle which would also launder the party's  image in the eyes of the public, especially concerning his alleged involvement in illegal possession of firearms and life ammunitions.  But unfortunately, this became a trigger for cold war within the party. A development, that ignited the boosting of  an already saturated balloon and consequent resultant  effect of 2/3 majority of members of the National Working Committee (NWC) that convened a meeting and suspended Yusuf Mamman Dantalle and the National Secretary, Ayodele Oyadeyi Adebayo from the party.

 The National working Committee thus appointed Mrs Rose D. S. Gyar  to step in to serve as the Ag. National Chairman. Few weeks into her official assumption of duties, however, the Federal High Court in Abuja Dissolved the organs of the party and sacked all officers at the instance of a pending suit earlier filed by some aggrieved members of the party against the party, the National Chairman, the Board of Trustees and INEC as defendants, for not conducting elections into the various orgañs of the party since inception in 2018. They informed the court that all officers of the party were occupying their seats on interim basis whereas the constitution provided that elections be held to usher in democratically elected officers that would conduct the affairs of the party at every level of Ward, LGA/AC and State/FCT and national. 

The powers of all the organs of the party is by the court judgement transferred to the Registered Trustees to manage the affairs of the party and conduct congresses and convention that would usher in democratically elected officers to run the affairs of the party within 3 months in accordance with their party constitution and existing laws and INEC guidelines.

Furthermore, there is also another Federal High Court judgement on even the sacking of BOT earlier mentioned above, that reinstated the existing membership of the Board of Trustees reversing the action of Dantalle and the State Chairmen.

It is now surprising therefore that with a court enrollment order from the Federal High Court in Abuja where both Dantalle and  INEC are  defendants in the suit which dissolved the NWC with other organs of the party and automatically created vacancy in all offices, and yet Dantalle is still being patronized by INEC as APM Party National Chairman in complete disregard to a judgement of court of competent jurisdiction.

' This to us leaves much to be desired" as the Secretary said.. This  can be interpreted as contempt of court by both Dantalle and INEC within the litigation space in law.

In another development however, the party"s Registered Trustees and then Ag. National Chairman and Secretary had sent a petition to the FCT Command of the Police Force requesting for investigation into the fraudulent act of Dantalle in respect to the Anambra State Gubernatorial elections 2022. Both complainants and defendants were summoned and upon interrogation, Dantalle admitted to his actions of fraudulent diversion of party money to his own personal account and using same for other purposes.

It is important that citizens increase their interest in torch lighting service delivery by public institutions with a view to holding them accountable for their actions or inactions that has become detrimental to good governance and to our corporate existence. This is a way to support the ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening our public institutions for best practices in governance.