PLATEAU: JOS NORTH PDP’S REPLACEMENT OF HAUSA EXECUTIVE NAMES: HON. DANJUMA FALKE AND HON. BALA MALELE, DRAG PDP, HAJIYA SAADATU, AND ALI SAAD TO COURT

By: Amb. Valentine Adese (JP), and Abraham Agaldo,

The political drama in the Plateau State chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has raised its head again, as some members of Jos North chapter of the party are already settling issues of name replacements in the Plateau State High Court.  

The Suit, No: PL5/J612/2024, filed by Hon. Danjuma Falke and Hon. Bala Malele and currently challenging why their names were substituted in the list of the Executives in the Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) despite being selected and nominated by the Hausa Community in Jos North.

The suit coming by way of Originating Summons is brought Pursuant to Section 6 (1)& (6): Section 36(1) and Section 223b(1)(a), (b) and (2)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Section 82 (3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, Article 18 (2)(a) of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Constitution 2017 (as amended), Paragraph 14.0 (IV)and (V) of the PDP Guidelines for the purpose of electing Party Executive Committee at all levels (2024) and order Rules 4 and 5 (1) of the High Court of Plateau State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2020, has Hajiya Saadatu Awatai, Ali Saad ((On behalf of PDP, Jos North LG Executive), Hon. Aminu Abdullahi (Acting Chairman PDP Jos North LG Executive) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as Defendants.

The Court today (6/11/2024), having listened to the Counsel to the Claimants, M. B. Abdullahi (Esq), leading M. M. Auwal (Esq) and W. M. Micha for the Defendants on the issue of a proposed meeting by the PDP to settle the issue, has adjourned the case to the 27^th of November 2024, for a possible presentation of Report of the Settlement or hearing.

The Court was earlier told by the Counsel to the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th Defendants, Micha (Esq) that a Committee has already been inaugurated to settle the matter out of Court since they are all members of the party.

 You would recall that the Appeal Committee of the PDP in its findings on this matter had earlier held that, “the Committee observed that the Hausa Community actually selected and nominated the complainants as Local Government Secretary and Assistant PRO respectively, but a stakeholder who was not from the Hausa Community removed their names and replaced same with people who were not from the Hausa Community.

The names earlier adopted by the Hausa Community to wit; Hon. Danjuma Bala Falke Local Government Secretary and Hon. Bala Malele Local Government Assistant PRO should be recognized and returned as Local Government Secretary and Local Government Assistant PRO respectively”.