I WRITE this rejoinder having taken judicial notice of the so-called letter of resignation authored by Maurice Vunobolki, and the attendant memorandum circulated thereon, both of which, with respect, are replete with self-serving averments, conjectures, and material misrepresentations of fact and law.
I shall respond seriatim and without prejudice to any further right of reply.
1. On the Prematurity and Bad Faith of the Resignation
The purported resignation, coming “barely weeks” after entry into the party, is _prima facie_ evidence of mala fide and forum shopping. A party is not a political inn to be used and discarded at pleasure. He who seeks equity must come with clean hands. To resign on the eve of internal party processes, while simultaneously inciting withdrawal of supporters across 21 LGAs, amounts to constructive sabotage and an attempt to hold the party to ransom.
2. On Allegations of Manipulated Congresses and Irregular Membership
The sweeping allegations of “manipulated congress frameworks” and “irregular membership registrations” are weighty, yet remain unsubstantiated by particulars, dates, or documentary proof. It is trite law that he who asserts must prove. Bare allegations, no matter how widely circulated, cannot vitiate the presumption of regularity that attaches to the acts of the Party organs conducted pursuant to Articles 9, 20, and 21 of the APC Constitution (2022 as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022. Until set aside by competent authority, those processes remain valid and subsisting.
3. On the Doctrine of Estoppel and Approbation/Reprobation
The resigning aspirant, having taken benefit of the party platform, structure, and goodwill to announce his gubernatorial ambition, is estopped from turning around to denounce the same platform as lacking fairness. One cannot approbate and reprobate. Having submitted himself to the jurisdiction of the party, he is bound by its rules, processes, and dispute-resolution mechanisms under Article 21. Resignation per saltum, without exhausting internal remedies, is an abuse of process.
4. On the False Narrative of “Transplanted Conflict
The memorandum’s claim that the integration of new entrants was “flawed” because it was not preceded by “harmonisation of interests” is, with respect, a misapprehension of party politics. Political mergers and realignments are governed by the overriding doctrine of party supremacy and numerical strength. The Constitution of the APC does not guarantee automatic office or ticket to any entrant, old or new. What it guarantees is equal opportunity to contest. To equate competition with marginalisation is to subvert the very ethos of democracy.
5. On the Threat of Exodus and Alleged “Implosion
The veiled threat that this resignation is the “first breakaway” in a “broader exodus” is noted. However, the APC is not a party that negotiates under duress or succumbs to political blackmail. The party’s corporate existence and electoral title cannot be held hostage by the personal grievances of one aspirant. In law and in politics, _nemo dat quod non habet_ — Vunobolki cannot donate to third parties a grievance he has failed to prove or prosecute through due process.
Prayers
In the light of the foregoing, I most respectfully pray the Leader of the Party in Adamawa State and the National Working Committee to:
a. Take judicial notice* that the resignation is of no moment and does not derogate from the validity of subsisting party structures in Adamawa State;
b. Direct the State Chapter* to disregard all calls for mass withdrawal, same being unlawful, seditious to party discipline, and contrary to Article 21(A);
c. Refer the author* of the resignation letter to the appropriate Disciplinary Committee if his conduct is found to have brought the party into disrepute;
d. Reaffirm that all primaries in Adamawa shall be conducted freely, fairly, and in strict compliance with the APC Constitution, Electoral Act, and INEC Guidelines;
e. Issue a caveat* that no aspirant, however highly placed, shall be allowed to foist a fait accompli on the party through media trial or premature exit.
Conclusion
The APC in Adamawa is not fractured; it is competitive. Competition is not crisis. The so-called resignation is, at best, a unilateral withdrawal and, at worst, a calculated attempt to precipitate crisis where none exists. The party must not allow itself to be stampeded into taking panicked decisions that may later be impugned as lacking due process.
I so submit with the utmost deference, and pray that this rejoinder be placed on record and accorded the weight it deserves in any future consideration of the matters raised.
- Duhu is a pioneer National Vice Chairman North East of the APC and can be reached via galadimadluku@gmail.com.
