- Party appoints Ajimobi as Deputy Chair
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday deepened following the suspension of the party’s national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by an Abuja High Court.
The court presided over by Justice Danlami Senchi also ordered the party to stop recognising Oshiomhole as its national chairman, pending the determination of the substantive suit, which is seeking his perpetual removal as the APC chairman.
The court order followed a motion on notice filed on January 16, 2020 by Comrade Mustapha Salihu, the APC National Vice Chairman for North East; Anselm Ojezua, the party’s Edo State chairman; and four others. The motion had Oshiomhole, APC, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and State Security Service (SSS) as respondents.
They had asked the court through their lawyer, Oluwole Afolabi, for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining Oshiomhole (1st respondent) “from continuing to parade himself or performing any function as the National Chairman of the 2nd respondent (APC) or representing the 2nd respondent in any capacity pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
They also asked for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining APC from recognising or continuing to recognise Oshiomhole as its National Chairman “including giving effect to any of his decisions or according him any privilege/benefit accruing to its National Chairman pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
Similarly, they asked for “an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 2nd respondent from permitting or continuing to permit the 1st respondent to function as its National Chairman including representing the 2nd respondent at any engagement or allowing him access to the office of Chairman of the 2nd respondent pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
They also asked the court to order the IGP and SSS “to deploy their staff, agents and operatives to prevent the 1st respondent from continuing to occupy the office of the National Chairman of the 2nd respondent and from having access to the said office pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
Adopting processes on the motion on Monday, Afolabi told the court that the essence of the motion was to preserve the res (subject matter) of the substantive suit. He argued that the applicants’ contention was that Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, had been suspended by the Edo State chapter of the party and has not challenged the said suspension.
He argued that his (Oshiomhole) rights as a member was currently abated and as such he could not continue to act as chairman of the party, a position meant for a substantive member.
He said granting the motion became more expedient in view of recent losses suffered by the party in Zamfara, Rivers and Bayelsa states.
In his objection to the motion, Barrister Ginika, holding the brief of Damian Dodo (SAN) for the 1st and 2nd respondent urged the court to dismiss it, arguing that the applicants did not place any material before the court that entitled them to the reliefs being sought for in the motion.
She added that the reliefs being sought in the motion were the same as the ones in the substantive suit and granting the former would affect the substantive suit.
Delivering ruling on Wednesday, Justice Senchi granted all the four reliefs sought by the applicants.
Subsequently, counsel for Oshiomhole and APC, Damian Dodo (SAN) asked the court for an order of accelerated hearing for the substantive suit.
Granting the application, the judge adjourned the matter to April 7 and 8 for the hearing of the substantive suit.
Earlier, the court had dismissed a motion from the SSS seeking to be removed as a party in the suit. The judge had held that the IGP and SSS could and were joined as nominal parties to enforce the decision of the court.
Also, the court had earlier dismissed the preliminary objection of Oshiomhole and APC to the substantive suit. The judge further held that though the suit was wrongly commenced by originating summon (instead of writ of summons as it contains contentious issues), the proper order the court’s rules permit was not to dismiss the suit but to order pleadings to be filed by parties.
Lawyers react
On what the order of the court means for Oshiomhole and the party, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof Ernest Ojukwu, said the language of the court was clear and that once the court suspends someone, it means such a person can no longer act in the capacity of which he was suspended.
Another senior lawyer, who asked not to be named because he is chieftain of the party, said unless and until steps were taken by Oshiomhole or the party through a successful appeal or a stay of execution of the ruling, Oshiomhole ceases to be the chairman of the party.
He said an order of the court takes effect the moment it is given and that since Oshiomhole and the party were part of the proceedings through their lawyer, it was impossible for them to claim they were not aware of the order.
He added that it was only a third party that could ask for a proof of the suspension order before giving effect to it. He also added that since the security agencies were part of the suit through the IGP and the SSS, they could be called upon to give effect to the order of the court should it be found that Oshiomhole refused to honour the order of the court.
We’ll obey court order – APC
Reacting, the party through its acting National Secretary, Victor Giadom, said it would respect the court order suspending Oshiomhole.
“As a party we are aware of the injunction. As a law-abiding party, we will respect all lawful court orders.
“Very soon the National Working Committee will meet and you will hear further from the party. I am trying to say that the All Progressives Congress will respect all lawful court orders. We will soon do that,” he said.
Party appoints Ajimobi as Deputy Chair, Bulama, secretary
Meanwhile, the party has appointed a former governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi as its Deputy National Chairman (South). The appointment was approved at the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of the party held on January 14, 2020 at the party’s secretariat, according to a statement issued last night by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.
The party has been without a deputy national chairman (south) since the appointment of Otunba Niyi Adebayo (deputy national chairman south) as minister. The deputy national chairman (North), Senator Lawan Shuaibu was suspended last June.
The party also approved the appointment of Arch. Waziri Bulama as National Secretary and Mr. Paul Chukwuma as National Auditor. The spokesperson said the appointments followed the nominations by the respective zones.
Security operatives storm secretariat
Our correspondent reports that security operatives from State Security Services and FCT Police Command in about six vehicles arrived the premises of the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja, hours after the court order.
The security men who arrived at 5:10pm in vehicles surrounded the Blantyre office of the party and ordered individuals who are not members of staff of the party including journalists to leave the premises.
Daily Trust reports that the police came less than 30 minutes after bailiffs of the court came to serve notice of the court on the party and went directly to the National Chairman’s office.
A security officer who did not want his name mentioned told one of our correspondents that officers from FCT Command and State Command were at the premises to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
Mixed reactions in Edo
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Edo State have expressed mixed reactions on the court ruling.
While a faction of the party loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki, said that the pronouncement will bring peace to the party in the state, Oshiomhole’s faction said that the development will hinder the peace process.
Speaking with our reporter, a factional chairman of the party loyal to Obaseki, Aslem Ojezua, said the court only gave effect to the suspension that was done by the ward executive of the party in the state.
A chieftain of the party loyal to Oshiomhole, Henry Idiagbon, noted that the suspension will not bring peace in Edo because Oshiomhole ‘‘is the stabilising factor in the politics of the state.
“There is no problem, it is a judicial process that will be tackled judicially, so there is no big deal about the pronouncement,” he said.
Also, the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, has described the ruling as the right decision for the party.
Obaseki stated this yesterday in Benin during the Edo South Senatorial rally to drum for new members.
“No man is God and no man can play God. With what God has done today, what we should do now is to just thank him, when we planned this meeting last week, we did not know that God has a plan for us today,” he said.
He said with the court pronouncement, peace has finally come to the party in the state.
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