Osun LGs crisis: Court sets Nov 27 for ruling

By Oluseye Ojo

An Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, has adjourned till November 27, to rule on applications challenging its jurisdiction and joinder filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the case concerning the preservation of funds accrued to Osun State local governments from the Federation Account.

The court, presided over by Justice Ladiran Akintola, also extended its earlier order freezing 30 accounts at UBA Plc, where the disputed funds are lodged, pending the next adjourned date.

The development came as the court dismissed an application filed by UBA Plc’s lead counsel, Ojo Adebayo (SAN), seeking a sine die adjournment of the case pending the Supreme Court’s ruling on a similar matter.

The court held that the application filed by UBA Plc for adjournment sine die (indefinite) could not be entertained while there were still pending applications challenging its jurisdiction.

Lead counsel to the claimants, Musibau Adetunmbi (SAN), had opposed the applications by both the APC and the PDP to be joined as parties to the case, arguing that the APC could not file any application on a matter to which it is not a party, and that the same applies to the PDP.

Adetunmbi maintained that the court has jurisdiction to entertain the matter, contrary to the submission of the APC’s lead counsel, Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN), who challenged the territorial jurisdiction of the court and questioned the locus standi of the claimants.

“As far as this case is concerned, the APC is a stranger and, as a result, it cannot file this motion,” Adetunmbi said.

He prayed the court to dismiss the APC motion challenging the court’s jurisdiction as well as joinder applications filed by both the APC and the PDP.

The court also referred a similar suit filed by the PDP against UBA Plc to the Chief Judge of the state for reassignment to another court.