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Lukman Olabiyi, and Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are in confusion over different orders from different courts in respect of the proposed meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party slated for March 17.
Justice Samira Bature of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Maitama, had on Wednesday, restrained the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Waziri Bulama, the party legal adviser, Babatunde Ogala, and publicity secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu from disrupting the proposed meeting.
But the Federal High Court, Lagos, on the same day, granted an interim injunction restraining APC from giving effect to notice of meeting issued by Victor Giadom, who purportedly convened an emergency meeting of NEC.
Again, yesterday, Justice Mohammed Liman, of the Federal High Court, Lagos, ordered that the meeting of the NEC of the party, scheduled for next week Tuesday shall not hold without former Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi; Waziri Bulama, and Paul Chukwuma, being at the meeting.
The court had restrained the APC and its officials from, “disturbing, preventing or obstructing Waziri Bulama, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and Paul Chukwuma, from carrying out their duties as acting National Secretary, acting National Deputy Chairman (South) and acting National Auditor of the APC, respectively.
Justice Liman gave the order sequel to an ex parte application filed by the Lagos State Chairman of the APC, Tunde Balogun, which was argued by his lawyer, Gani Bello.
Balogun, who is chairman of Lagos State chapter of the APC, in the application, prayed the court to compel the APC to recognise Bulama as the party’s acting National Secretary; Ajimobi, as the acting National Deputy Chairman (South); and Chukwuma, as the acting National Auditor of the party.
He told the court that after the three offices became vacant and were zoned to different geopolitical zones, Bulama was nominated by the North-East; Ajimobi, by the South-West; and Chukwuma, by the South-East.
The petitioner said the nomination of Bulama, was ratified at the meeting of the APC National Working Committee held on January 14; while those of Ajimobi, and Chukwuma ,were ratified at the NWC meeting of March 4.
He told the court that the APC National Executive Council could not effectively function unless Bulama, Ajimobi, and Chukwuma, were allowed to perform their duties. He, therefore, urged the court to compel the APC to recognise the trio.
After listening to the applicant’s lawyer, Justice Liman granted the prayers and adjourned till March 25, 2020, to entertain the plaintiff’s Motion on Notice.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, yesterday, began hearing of the suit filed by a Chieftain of the APC in the state, Mr. Michael Akinleye, against Senator Ajimobi, over his appointment as the Deputy National Chairman (South) by the party’s National Working Committee(NWC).
Akinleye in the suit is contending the propriety of the action taken by the APC National Working Committee’s appointment of Ajimobi via alleged imposition.
Justice U. N. Agoma adjourned the case to March 23 for hearing of the pending applications.
Respondents in the suit are: APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole (1st respondent), National Working Committee (2nd), National Vice Chairman, South West (3rd), APC South West Zonal Caucus (4th), Ekiti State Chairman of APC (5th), Ekiti State Caucus of APC (6th), All Progressives Congress (7th) and Senator Abiola Ajimobi (8th).
