The leadership dispute engulfing the Yobe State chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) has intensified, following the outright rejection of their purported impeachment by the State Chairman, Umar Adamu Jajere, and Secretary-General, Mustapha Gado. The two officials have publicly declared the action null and void, asserting their continued recognition as the legitimate leaders of the council.
This escalating development has raised significant questions regarding the governance and internal administration of the umbrella body for registered political parties in Nigeria's Yobe State. The timing is particularly critical as political activities gradually gather momentum in anticipation of the 2027 general elections.
In a formal "public notice of nullity and disclaimer" jointly signed by Jajere and Gado, the council emphatically stated that the alleged impeachment contravened several provisions of the IPAC Code of Conduct (2019) and, consequently, could not be deemed legitimate or recognised.
Grounds For Rejecting The Impeachment
The council outlined four primary reasons for its rejection of the impeachment:
- Lack of Quorum: The meeting at which the impeachment was announced failed to achieve the necessary quorum, as it did not have 50 per cent of the membership of either the State Executive Council or the State Assembly, a requirement explicitly stipulated under Sections 8(ii) and 8(iv) of the IPAC Code.
- Unauthorised Participation: Individuals who were not validly nominated in writing by their respective political party state chairmen reportedly participated and cast votes during the meeting, a clear violation of Sections 4.2(a) and 15 of the Code.
- Improper Convening: The meeting itself was not convened in accordance with established procedures. There was no written request signed by two-thirds of the members, and the chairman was not issued the mandatory seven-day notice as stipulated in Section 8(vii) of the Code.
- Lack of Due Process in Disciplinary Action: Regarding the disciplinary process, the officials highlighted that no formal complaint was submitted to either the Disciplinary Committee or the Political Parties Alternative Dispute Resolution (PPADR) Committee, and no investigation was conducted prior to the alleged impeachment.
IPAC issued a stern warning that any individual presenting themselves as an IPAC official in Yobe State based on the purported impeachment would be acting without lawful authority. The council further threatened disciplinary action, including suspension, against any members who participated in the exercise, accusing them of violating the council's Code of Conduct.
The Inter-Party Advisory Council urged the Yobe State Government, the State Independent Electoral Commission (YOSIEC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and other relevant political stakeholders to exclusively recognise Jajere and Gado as the legitimate state leadership. It also confirmed that the National Secretariat of the council had been duly informed of these developments, in line with Section 4.3 of the Code.
As of reporting, the faction responsible for announcing the alleged impeachment has yet to issue a response to the statement from Jajere and Gado.