Huriwa Faults 'expulsion' Of Apc's National Vice Chairman; 

A leading Pro-democracy and Civil Rights Advocacy Group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has faulted the reported expulsion of the Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) (North West) Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-Kadir(SAN) even as the Rights group affirmed that such illegal action adopted by a section of the national hierarchy of the ruling party in Nigeria without due respect for a subsisting action before a competent court of law on the same subject matter is a direct affront to the avowed principle of respect for rule of law as espoused by President Muhammadu Buhari in almost all his public speeches.

HURIWA which specifically appeals to President Muhammadu Buhari To call his national party officials to order and to stay action on any petition against Inuwa Abdulkadir who is a life bencher of the Nigerian body of benchers and one of the few most reputable nationalists in politics in the Country, pending the determination of the pending and subsisting court case on the same subject matter has also reminded the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Comrade Adams Oshiomhole that as a one time tested and trusted Unionist and a two terms governor who swore an oath to protect the sanctity of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 (as amended) he(Adams Oshiomhole) must be weary of associating himself with treacherous, anti-democratic and unconstitutional actions such as the one manifested in the media announcement from his governing board of the ruling All Progressives Congress which purports to have expelled the substantive Vice Chairman (North West) of his political formation- APC Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir(SAN). HURIWA reminds the APC that he who goes to equity must go with clean hands just as the Rights group asked the officials not to throw stones because they too live in glass house meaning that since they are the officials charged with ensuring that the principle of Rule of law takes preeminence at all times, they must not therefore be seen dancing naked in the public square by undermining the supremacy of the Constitution.

HURIWA in a statement made available to the media has challenged the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress to show good example as a party that respects the tenets of the principle of the rule of law in the sense that no adversarial action capable of undermining the sacredness of the constitution should be linked to the party just as the Rights group stated that the reported expulsion or suspension of the Vice Chairman of the party Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, a former Sokoto state Attorney General and a former federal cabinet minister, without fair hearing offends the fundamental kernel of the sanctity of the principle of rule of law and amounts to disobedience of the judicial powers of the federation clothed on the Courts of competent jurisdiction including the Sokoto High Court of Justice which is currently handling a legal challenge mounted by Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-Kadir questioning the validity of the petition originated from the Sokoto state chapter of the ruling party upon which the a section of the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress relied on to reach the pre-determined but altogether unconstitutional conclusion which in any event is a nullity having regards to section 1(1) of the Nigerian Constitution which says all provisions of the constitution are binding on all persons and all authorities and section 36(5) which grants fair hearing to all citizens even as section 6 gives the judicial powers of Nigeria to the Courts of competent jurisdiction.

HURIWA has therefore disclosed that it will on Monday July 22nd send a petition to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria His. Excellency Muhammadu Buhari(GCFR) and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to urge them to uphold the sanctity of the Constitution and stop the overzealous section of the executives of APC at the national level from committing an outrageous rape of the grund norm and the supreme law of the Constitution by compelling them to reverse with immediate effect the kangaroo decision to expel the Vice Chairman of APC Inuwa Abdulkadir even whilst a court matter is ongoing on the same theme.

HURIWA recalled that the All Progressives Congress, APC, purportedly expelled the Party’s National Vice Chairman (North West), Inuwa Abdulkadir, over anti-party activities just as the Rights group stated that the party disclosed this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.

HURIWA disclosed as follows: " We are shocked to read that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had upheld the disciplinary actions of Magajin Gari “A” Ward, Sokoto North Local Government, and the Party’s Sokoto State Executive Committee on the Party’s National Vice Chairman (North West), Inuwa Abdulkadir over anti-party activities. This unconstitutional decision to normalise what looked like politically procured mob action from the ward level against a respected national official of the party who had already gone to the court to seek redress against these allegedly paid petitioners is nothing but the worst case scenario for a political party that has formed government at the center and which is more obliged to respect the Constitution in other not to create room for anarchy and doom in the body polity which they now govern as the party that has formed the federal government of Nigeria for the time being. This ill-adviced decision which breaches the Principle of Rule of law which President Muhammadu Buhari preaches must be withdrawn forthwith or Nigerians will view the current government as a pretender who has no regard for the law".

HURIWA disputes the claim that the party organs in Sokoto State had earlier validly expelled Inuwa Abdulkadir and passed on their recommendation to the NWC for ratification just as HURIWA faults the Publicity secretary of APC who stated that the decision to uphold the actions of the Sokoto APC organs was taken at a meeting of the NWC held at the Party’s National Secretariat on Thursday. The Rights group says it was unbecoming of some educated persons to pretend not to know that once a matter is before a competent court of law you can't take any action that is targeted at foisting a fait accompli on the court because Nigeria as a Country that depends on the viability of the Constitution and the laws to exist as a constitutional democracy can't at the same time be seen to be dominated by officials who have scant regards for the Constitution and the laws of the Federation of Nigeria. HURIWA said the so- called expulsion of Inuwa Abdulkadir remains a nullity because it was erected on illegality even as the Rights group said whatever is built on illegality will inevitably collapse like a pack of cards when subjected to the test of legal validity and sustainability.

HURIWA said it would amount to attacking the heart of the constitution for the section of APC's national secretariat to hang on to the tenuous claim that he Abdulkadir failed to utilise the opportunity to defend himself before the disciplinary committee set up by the NWC to look into the various petitions received against certain members of our party therefore following the suspension of Abdulkadir, the NWC will subsequently forward the decision of the Sokoto State organs to the Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) for further actions just as the Rights group said this position lacks fundamental legal foundation and must not stand. HURIWA said this decision is a colossal affront to the constitution and represents the clearest disregard for President Muhammadu Buhari's acclaimed love for the Principle of Rule of law.