The Executive Director of the Dombo Foundation Ghana, Abdulai Iddrisu Dipantiche, has secured an order of interlocutory injunction at the Tamale High Court restraining Mr Yussif Toyibu, the Northern Regional Treasurer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) from holding himself as such.
The plaintiff is a member of the governing NPP who is in court challenging the appointment of Mr Yussif Toyibu as the NPP Regional Treasurer and Mr Yussif Danjumah as the Deputy Regional Secretary of the party.
The duo were appointed to serve the party in those capacities by the Northern Regional Chairman, Mohammed Baantima Samba in consultation with the party’s Regional Executive Committee following the regional reorganization that resulted in the creation of the North East and Savannah Regions from the parent Northern Region in 2019.
However, Abdulai Iddrisu Dipantiche in a writ filed at the Tamale High Court is seeking a declaration that the appointment of Mr Yussif Toyibu as the NPP Regional Treasurer and Mr Yussif Danjumah as the Assistant Regional Secretary contravenes the NPP constitution; and an order of perpetual injunction restraining the two from acting as NPP Northern Regional Treasurer and Assistant Regional Secretary respectively.
The plaintiff among other claims argues that the NPP constitution states expressly that certain positions shall be elected at a Regional Annual Delegates Conference including those Yussif Toyibu (2nd Defendant) and Yussif Danjumah (3rd Defendant) currently occupies.
Therefore, he emphasised the appointments made by the Northern Region Executive Committee is contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution.
The plaintiff further affirms that the elected Regional Treasurer, Alhaji Sibidoo Alhassan Yakubu is still alive and has not formally resigned or removed as treasurer and explained the treasurer now acts as the Northern Region Secretary and has failed or refused to act on his elected role as Treasurer.
Background
Prior to the lawsuit the Dombo Foundation Ghana petitioned the NPP National Chairman and General Secretary, Northern Regional Chairman and Northern Region Council of elders among others.
The Executive Director indicated the appointment of the embattled Regional Treasurer is a clear violation of Article 9 of the party’s constitution, stating this is stipulated in paragraphs 22, 24, 35, 36 and 37 of the party’s constitution on regional organization.
He posited that the regional treasurer position and any other elected position when vacant can be occupied only by elected Regional Executive Officer in the aforementioned articles.
The elected Regional Treasurer, Alhaji Sibdoo Alhassan Yakubu, the petitioner maintained is still in his capacity as Treasurer but also acting as Northern Regional Secretary.
“It is only in the occurrence of the following that the Regional Treasurer position can be vacant according to Article 9, paragraph 22 of the party’s constitution:
A Regional Officer shall cease to be such an officer if:
- he or she resigns,
- he or she is removed in accordance with the procedure of removal of officers,
- by reason of death, bodily or mental infirmity or otherwise incapable of carrying out his or her responsibilities as a Regional Officer
- he or she ceases to be a member for engaging in specified act prohibited under Article 3 of this constitution
- he or she is expelled from the party
- he or she absents himself or herself for three consecutive meetings without any just cause
“I am therefore petitioning to the leadership of the regional executive committee headed by the regional chairman to as a matter of urgency stop and withdraw Mr. Ussif Toyibu from his position as the Northern Regional Treasurer of NPP as claimed.
I also wish to formally inform the Regional Executive Committee in this petition that I shall go to court to seek an injunction to him and challenge the nomination of Mr Ussif Toyibu. The Regional Executive Committee must therefore withdraw his nomination by 5:00MP Friday, the 1st of October, 2021” the petition added.
