The dispute bedevilling the PDP in Katsina State over party leadership has widened with the recent Congress.
The party held its local government congresses today, during which local government party executives and 34 national delegates were elected.
A Tribune correspondent who visited several local government areas noted that the election was peaceful despite the presence of two factions within the party in the state.
The Mustafa Inuwa-led faction had taken the state party leadership to court, requesting that the ongoing congresses be halted, claiming they were being hijacked by the party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, Senator Yakubu Lado Danmarke.
The Inuwa-led faction accused Senator Lado of sabotaging the party and crippling its chances of winning the 2023 elections in the state, an allegation that Lado denied.
While monitoring the congress election in Rimi Local Government Area, the Tribune witnessed the party’s Electoral Officer, Alhaji Tijjani Mashasha, coordinating the process in the presence of INEC supervisors as well as police and DSS operatives.
A total of thirty delegates participated in the election, electing 18 local government executives and one national delegate.
Mashasha told newsmen after the election, “A fortnight ago, we conducted the ward congresses across the state, which had a large turnout of party members and was also peaceful and orderly. Our hope is to recapture Katsina State and to recapture Nigeria; only PDP leadership can bring about sustainable development in this country.”
When asked why they proceeded with the congresses despite an ongoing court case with the other faction of the party, Mashasha stated that the party leadership had not received any court order halting the congresses.
However, when contacted, the counsel for the Inuwa-led faction, Barr. Mustafa Shitu, described the ongoing party congresses as illegal, noting that the matter is already before the court.
“We are surprised that the PDP leadership has gone ahead with these congresses despite the fact that the matter is before the court.
“The national leadership of the party at Wadata Plaza, Abuja, has been served, and they have also been served through their counsel, Godwin Uche, SAN, following the suit filed by our side through Dayo Akinlaja, SAN.
“We represent more than seven thousand bona fide party members in the state who have rejected these illegal party congresses because they are being held in violation of legal procedures.
“Once a matter is before the court, both parties are expected to refrain from proceeding with the process that is in contention.
“There have been many cases where such illegality occurs, and then the court decides to cancel the whole process. Our prayer now is for the court to cancel the election,” Barr. Shitu concluded.
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