Ekiti court hears suit against Ajimobi’s appointment as APC national officer

By Ihesiulo Grace 12 March 2020 19 No comment

A Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti in Ekiti state on Thursday began the hearing of the suit filed by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Michael Akinleye against the appointment of former Oyo state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi as the party’s deputy national chairman (south).

The suit with registration number: FHC/AD/C8/8/2020 filed by one of the aspirants for the seat, contends that the propriety of the action taken by the APC national working committee in imposing Ajimobi on the party is illegal contrary to the party’s constitution.

Joined in the suit are the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, the national working committee, national vice chairman, south-west, APC south-west zonal caucus, Ekiti state chairman of the APC, Ekiti state caucus of the APC, the APC and Sen. Abiola Ajimobi.

The position of the deputy national chairman (south) became vacant following the appointment of Niyi Adebayo as a minister with the Ekiti state chapter of the APC arguing that another party member from the state, Senator Gbenga Aluko should fill the vacancy in fulfilment of the party’s micro-zoning formula rather than taking the post to Oyo state.

During yesterday’s proceeding, Oshiomhole, Ajimobi and other respondents with the exception of fifth and sixth respondents were absent in court, but were represented by their lawyer, Chief Tony Adeniyi.

In the originating summon filed by applicant through his lawyer, Taiwo Omidoyin, the applicant is seeking an interlocutory order stopping the party from either announcing or appointing Ajimobi pending the determination of the suit.

He urged the court to restrain the eighth respondent (Ajimobi) from parading himself as the deputy national chairman and to determine among other things whether his rights has not been abridged as an aspirant looking up to an election to elect the deputy national chairman before Ajimobi was suddenly imposed on the party.

But, in the preliminary objection filed by Adeniyi, who is representing all the respondents with the exemption of the fifth and sixth, the defendants contended that the court lacks the jurisdiction to hear the matter and that the suit be dismissed on this premise.

The hearing of the preliminary objection could not be argued because the lawyer to the applicant said he has not been properly served to be able to respond appropriately.

Omidoyin argued that “I need some time to file a counter -affidavit to the notice of preliminary objection raised by the respondents. We are seeking for time to react appropriately to all the issues raised therein.

“All we are praying for is time to react appropriately. The reason why we didn’t react to them was that, we were not sure about who is representing the fifth and sixth respondents/defendants in the case and now that we have got the clarification, we can now respond.

“Another problem is that Chief Adeniyi didn’t respond to our originating summons. We are confused about the cause, maybe it was an omission or whether he was not served,” he said.

The counsel to the respondents didn’t object to the adjournment sought by the counsel to the applicant.

The presiding Judge, Justice U. N. Agoma in her brief ruling adjourned the case to March 23 for hearing of the pending applications.