Suspended Nasarawa State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Aliyu Bello, is facing legal action at the Federal High Court 1 in Lafia over his alleged refusal to vacate office despite being suspended by his ward leadership.
The case, filed by the APC chairman of Gayam Ward in Lafia Local Government Area, Mr Ibrahim Iliyasu, seeks to restrain Bello from further parading himself as a member and state chairman of the party. According to Iliyasu, Bello was suspended due to alleged anti-party activities which, he claimed, have “brought embarrassment to the party and undermined its progress.”
Speaking to journalists shortly after Tuesday’s court proceedings, counsel to the plaintiff, Isa Hassan-Nalaraba, explained that the lawsuit aims to stop Dr. Bello from continuing in his role as APC chairman pending the court’s final decision on the matter.
“We approached the court to restrain Dr. Bello from functioning in any official capacity as state party chairman,” Hassan-Nalaraba stated. “There are concerns that he is planning to expel my client and other ward executives in order to retain control of the party structure despite being suspended.”
While the court declined an ex-parte application to immediately restrain Bello from acting as chairman, it did issue a caution to all parties involved.
“The court in its wisdom ruled that the originating summons should be heard first,” Hassan-Nalaraba explained. “The issues raised in the motion on notice are similar to the prayers in the main suit. So the court has chosen to address the substantive case.”
He added, “The second respondent, Dr. Aliyu Bello, has already been suspended by his ward. If the status quo is maintained, it means he should no longer act as a member of the APC pending final judgment.”
The court also warned against any actions that could prejudice the case, including attempts to expel any party member during the legal process.
Counsel to the defendant, Thomas Oboshi, countered the claims, describing the allegations of expulsion plots as speculative. “There is no credible evidence that my client is attempting to expel the ward chairman. The plaintiff’s counsel is merely speculating,” Oboshi said.
He reaffirmed the defence team’s readiness to present their response within the timeline permitted by the court rules.
Presiding Judge, Justice Mobolaji Olajiwon, ruled that the court would proceed with hearing the substantive suit rather than issuing an interim injunction. She urged both parties to maintain peace and avoid actions that could interfere with the ongoing legal process.
The matter was adjourned to 25th September 2025 for hearing.
