A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama has adjourned hearing of the motion on notice filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman (North-East), Comrade Mustapha Salihu, till March 31.
The defendants in the suit are Babatunde Ogala; Lanre Issa-Onilu; Waziri Bulama and the party, APC.
The court had, last Monday, granted an interim order permitting Chief Victor Giadom, the current Acting National Secretary of the ruling APC to act as the National Chairman of the party.
Salihu had approached the court, through the exparte motion, seeking for an interim order allowing Giadom to pilot the affairs of the party as acting chairman and to preside at all meetings of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) pending the decision of the party’s NEC fixed for March 17.
The applicant also sought an interim order restraining the APC and its officers or anyone purporting to act as an officer of the fourth defendant (APC) from preventing or in any way disturbing Giadom from functioning as the acting chairman, unless otherwise decided by the NEC of the party pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
The interim order came few hours before the Appeal Court in Abuja ordered a stay of execution of another FCT High court’s ruling ordering Adams Oshiomhole to step down as the APC Chairman.
However, when the case was called on Friday in court, the applicant and the defendants were not present in court. They were not represented by any counsels.
No reason was given for their absence in court.
Their absence prompted the judge to adjourn the matter till March 31 for hearing.
However, their absence may not be unconnected with the ongoing reconciliation efforts ongoing in the party.
Oshiomhole resumed office on Tuesday after being away for about two weeks.
Among his first actions during the party’s National Working Committee (NWC)’s meeting on Tuesday was the lifting of the suspension on the party’s National Deputy Chairman (North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu and the National Vice Chairman (North West), Inuwa Abdulkadir.
The party’s National Executive Council (NEC)’s meeting earlier slated for March 17 was called off following the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari and governors of the party on March 16.
Daily Trust reports that Oshiomhole and Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State have been at loggerheads in the past weeks with many believing that the present travail of Oshiomhole at his state (Edo) and in courts were not unconnected with this crisis with Obaseki, his successor as Edo State governor.
Obaseki is up for re-election this year.
