Abiola Ajimobi is APC acting chairman

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has named Abiola Ajimobi, former governor of Oyo state, as its acting national chairman.

In a statement, Lanre Issa-Onilu, its national publicity secretary, said this is as a result of the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole.

“Guided by advice from the Party’s legal department in line with the provisions of Section 14.2. (iii) of the Party’s constitution, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Sen. Abiola Ajimobi will serve as the Party’s Acting National Chairman,” the statement read.

“According to Section 14.2. (iii),of the APC constitution, the Deputy National Chairman, North/South “Shall act as the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone.”

An appeal court in Abuja had upheld the suspension of Oshiomhole by a federal capital territory (FCT) high court pending the determination of the substantive suit.

On March 5, 2020, a high court sitting in FCT had given an order of interlocutory injunction restraining Oshiomhole from referring to himself as the APC national chairman, pending the determination of a suit filed by one Oluwale Afolabi.

Less than two weeks later, on March 16, a court of appeal sitting in Abuja had restrained the APC from executing the judgement of the FCT high court which ordered Oshiomhole’s suspension as national chairman of the ruling party.

There are reports that Ajimobi, who emerged deputy national chairman of the ruling party in March, is battling coronavirus.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja upheld the decision of the Federal Capital Territory High Court which in March ordered the suspension of Oshiomole as well as parading himself as the national chairman of the party.

In a unanimous judgmentt, the first appeal delivered by Justice Eunice Onyemanam ,the court held that the trial court had territorial jurisdiction to have entertained the suit as it did .

The court also withdrew his rights and privileges as national chairman of the party including his security details.

The appellate predicated its decision on the ground that Oshiomole as the first appellant is based in Abuja while the APC also had its national headquarters in Abuja.

In the judgment in the second appeal delivered by Justice Mohammed Lamido, the court held that there was no basis for the two appellants to hold that they were denied fair hearing during proceedings at the trial court .

It further held that the suspension of Oshiomole from ward 10 of Etsako local government of Edo was ratified at the ward , local government and state level as required by law.

“The identity of those who suspended Oshiomole were not in doubt because in there unchallenged affidavit they made it clear that they were party members and officers of the party,   therefore the appeal lacks merit,” the court held

In the two dismissed appeals Oshiomole and the APC were the appellants.

On March 4, Juctice Danlami Senchi, a judge of the FCT high court in Abuja, ordered the suspension of Oshiomhole as national chairman pending the determination of a suit filed by one Oluwale Afolabi.

Senchi said it was wrong of the APC to have kept Oshiomhole as chairman after he was suspended by the Edo chapter of the party.

But Oshimhole approached the court of appeal seeking a stay of execution of the judgemen