By Emmanuella Opara | November 8th 2026
KEY POINTS
- Yobe IPAC Chairman Umar Jajere and Secretary-General Mustapha Gado have rejected their reported removal.
- The officials said the meeting that approved their impeachment did not meet the quorum and notice requirements under the council’s Code of Conduct.
- They alleged that no formal complaint, investigation or disciplinary hearing preceded the decision.
- The duo insist they remain the recognised leaders of the council and have notified the national secretariat.
MAIN STORY
The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Yobe State, Umar Jajere, and its Secretary-General, Mustapha Gado, have rejected their reported impeachment, describing the decision as invalid and contrary to the council’s Code of Conduct.
The two officials, in a statement issued on Saturday, maintained that they remained the recognised leaders of the council, arguing that the process leading to their removal failed to comply with established procedures.
Their reaction follows an announcement by the council that both officials had been removed after an emergency meeting held at its secretariat along Potiskum Road in Damaturu.
The announcement, contained in a statement signed by the Acting Secretary, Habiba Umaru, cited a vote of no confidence in Jajere and Gado. They were accused of failing to consult member political parties on important decisions and neglecting regular meetings of the council’s executive and general assembly.
The council also alleged that the former leaders used IPAC’s name to collect quarterly palliatives from the North-East Development Commission and other government and non-governmental organisations for personal benefit without the involvement or knowledge of member parties.
However, Jajere and Gado challenged the validity of the meeting, saying it did not satisfy the quorum requirement stipulated in Sections 8(ii) and 8(iv) of the IPAC Code of Conduct 2019.
They argued that the meeting required the participation of at least 50 per cent of the membership of either the State Executive Council or the State Assembly, adding that decisions taken without the required quorum could not be recognised.
The officials also questioned the eligibility of some participants, alleging that they had not been formally nominated in writing by their respective political party state chairmen, as required under Sections 4.2(a) and 15 of the code.
They further claimed that the meeting was improperly convened because no written request signed by two-thirds of the members was submitted and the chairman was not given the mandatory seven-day notice under Section 8(vii).
The duo also faulted the disciplinary process, stating that no formal complaint was submitted to either the Disciplinary Committee or the Political Parties Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee before the decision was announced.
According to them, no investigation was conducted and they were not given an opportunity to respond to the allegations against them.
Jajere and Gado warned against recognising anyone appointed through what they described as an unlawful process, insisting that they would remain in office until the procedures prescribed by the council were followed.
They also threatened disciplinary action, including suspension, against members who participated in the impeachment exercise, accusing them of violating IPAC’s Code of Conduct.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“The meeting did not satisfy the required quorum prescribed by the IPAC Code of Conduct. Any decision reached without meeting this fundamental requirement cannot be considered valid,” they said.
“The code is clear on the procedures for convening meetings and taking decisions. You cannot disregard these provisions and expect the outcome to be recognised as legitimate,” the officials stated.
WHAT’S NEXT
The officials have called on the Yobe State Government, the State Independent Electoral Commission, the Independent National Electoral Commission and other political stakeholders to recognise them as the legitimate leadership of the council.
They also disclosed that IPAC’s national secretariat had been informed of the development in line with Section 4.3 of the code.
BOTTOM LINE
The dispute has created uncertainty over the leadership of IPAC in Yobe State, with the two officials challenging the legitimacy of their removal and insisting that the council’s prescribed procedures must be followed.
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