By Suzan Edeh

Bauchi— A district court in Azare, Bauchi State has stopped the ongoing local government and state congresses of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.
Azare is the headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area of the state.

The Principal District Court 1, presided over by Judge Isa Mohammed, gave the order, yesterday, after listening to an application filed by counsel to 10 APC members, Mr Usman Baffa Darazo, praying the court to stop the congresses pending the determination of a motion on notice on the issue.

Those joined in the suit were the APC, the Bauchi State Congress Committee of the party as well as its  Chairman, Dr Almajiri Geidam.

The plaintiffs had alleged in the suit that there were fraud and other irregularities during the last ward congresses conducted by the congress committee in the state and asked the court to order all the parties to maintain status quo ante until the determination of the motion on notice.

In his ruling, Justice Mohammed also restrained the defendants from proceeding with local government and state congresses and asked the respondents to maintain status quo and stop all activities on the result of the ward congresses conducted in the state between April 6 and April 9, 2014, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

He also adjourned the case till April 28, 2014.
In his reaction, the state acting Publicity Secretary of the party, Abubakar Suleiman, said he was not aware of the court order, adding that they had just finished their stakeholders meeting and did not have any knowledge of the ruling.