Taraba PDP leadership crisis ends as court affirms Bakari as Acting Chairman

The leadership crisis that had rocked the Taraba State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been put to rest following the judgement of the State High Court in Jalingo which returned Alhaji Inuwa Bakari as the acting Chairman.

In a ruling on Monday by Justice S. A. Nuhu, the court held that Bakari will remain the acting party Chairman by declaring null and void the appointment of Abubakar Bawa by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party following the resignation of the substantive chairman.

Relying on the provision of section 47(6) of the Constitution of the PDP, Justice Nuhu held that the power to appoint a state chairman was vested in the State Working Committee and not the NWC which had appointed Bawa, and thereby declared the appointment of Bawa invalid and illegal.

In the case which was between Bakari, Shamang Moses and Ibrahim Abdullahi as the plaintiffs and the PDP and Bawa as the defendants, was to challenge the legality of the removal of Bakaris and the appointment of Bawa as the acting party chairman by the party NWC.

READ ALSO: Taraba governor’s ex-aide, Bawa, defies court order, locks up PDP chairman’s office

Justice Nuhu therefore declared that with the judgement, Bawa ceases to be recognized as the Chairman of the PDP in the state and is restrained from parading himself as such.

Bawa, who was the Special Adviser (Political Affairs) to Governor Darius Ishaku, was sworn-in as acting chairman of PDP Taraba State chapter, against the wish of many party faithfuls, who felt the party’s constitution was subverted by Governor Ishaku.

Bakari, who was Vice Chairman of the party assumed acting Chairmanship role following the resignation of Lt. Col. Agbu Kefas (rtd.) to contest the gubernatorial primaries of the party, which he won, and went on to become governor in the state.

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