Bature
Court strikes out suit challenging Rufus Bature’s Plateau APC Exco election
A Jos High Court on Thursday struck out a suit challenging the election of the Plateau State All Progressives Congress(APC) Executive Committee led by a former Secretary to the Government of Plateau State, Hon Rufus Bature.
Delivering ruling, Justice David Mann struck out the suit following an application for withdrawal filed by the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs, Mr. Ishaya Itse and five others, had in a motion on notice vide Suit No.PLD/J500M/21, approached the Court on 27th October 2021 with several claims bordering on the October 16 State APC Congress in which the defendants emerged victorious as the duly elected State Officials of the Party.
They had prayed the court to grant an order of interlocutory injunction amongst other reliefs to restrain the Bature and other members of his exco from parading or calling themselves Plateau State Executive Committee members of the party.
Counsel to the defendants/respondents Chief G.S. Pwul (SAN) and counsel to applicants/claimants Barr. N D. Gwaison did not raise objections to the decision of the applicants to withdraw the suit forthwith.
The plaintiffs had in their application for withdrawal of the suit explained that it was strictly a family affair as both parties belonged to the same political party, thus laying to rest the controversy that trailed the outcome of the Plateau APC State Congress.
Periscope International recalls that the plaintiffs who were aspirants in the State Congress had accused the state government of selecting the Bature-led exco through a consensus endorsement instead of allowing for an elective congress.
They were also aggrieved by the government’s alleged decision to deny them the application forms for congress even after they had duly paid for them.
