The leadership crisis rocking the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Taraba State has deepened, following a fresh legal intervention rejecting the purported removal of the state Chairman, Charles Tiuda, and the appointment of Richard Achiaregе as interim chairman.
The party’s Legal Adviser, K.M. Chiroma, in a statement issued on Friday, declared the purported vote of no confidence on Tiuda and the subsequent leadership change unconstitutional, insisting that the actions has no legal effect under the party’s constitution.
Chiroma’s intervention has introduced a new dimension into the dispute, shifting the controversy from a political disagreement among party members to a question of constitutional authority, due process and the powers of the various organs of the party.
He maintained that the NDC constitution remains supreme and binding on all members and organs, stressing that any decision, resolution or rule inconsistent with its provisions was null and void.
According to him, Articles 18 and 20 of the constitution prescribe procedures for dealing with disciplinary infractions and sanctions against officers and members, while the constitution also specifies the appropriate organ empowered to appoint or ratify an acting or interim state chairman.
Chiroma argued that the members of the State Executive/Working Committee who purportedly passed the vote of no confidence on Tiuda lack the constitutional authority to remove him and subsequently install another person as interim chairman.
He described the action as “grossly unconstitutional” and a total nullity, saying the procedure allegedly followed by the party executives did not conform with the provisions of the NDC constitution.
“The actions taken by the said members of the State Executive/Working Committee did not follow the procedure laid down in our party constitution,” Chiroma said, adding that the purported resolution remains “void and of no effect whatsoever.”
The legal adviser consequently urged party members and leaders to maintain the status quo, insisting that Tiuda remains the legitimate state chairman until his removal is carried out in accordance with the constitution.
He also directed members with grievances against the chairman or any other party official to seek redress through the appropriate internal mechanisms, citing Article 23 as providing structures for dispute resolution, while Articles 18 and 20 provide for disciplinary proceedings.
Chiroma specifically called on Achiaregе to immediately stop parading himself as the interim chairman of the party and demanded the removal of social media posts and reports suggesting that the leadership of the party had changed.
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Beyond the immediate leadership question, the legal adviser appealed to stakeholders to refrain from actions and statements capable of further escalating the crisis, warning that the dispute should not be allowed to degenerate into a contest between individuals.
He said the fundamental issues at stake were the sanctity of party institutions, internal democracy, due process and the rule of law, stressing that allowing constitutional provisions to be disregarded could undermine the stability of the organisation.
Chiroma urged the contending sides to return to the provisions of the party constitution, remain united and focus on the party’s political objectives ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that sacrificing constitutionalism for expediency could endanger every office holder and institution within the party.
