S’Court to hear Kwara APC leadership tussle April 10

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

The Supreme Court Monday slated Wednesday, April 10, 2019 to hear the appeal on the leadership tussle rocking the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kwara state.

The apex court which was prepared to hear the appeal filed by a factional chairman of the party in the state, Hon Ishola Balogun Fulani,at it sitting yesterday, shifted the matter till Wednesday, April 10 due to non service of hearing notice on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the caretaker chairman of the party in the state, Mr Bashiru Bolarinwa.

Justice Bode Rhodes Vivour, who presided over the matter yesterday, shifted the hearing date when the registrar of the court announced that both INEC and Bolarinwa were not in court because hearing notice could not be served on them.

The appellant, Fulani through his counsel, Kehinde Kayode Eleja (SAN) had approached the apex court challenging the decision of the lower court which acceded powers to the National Chairman of the All Progresives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, who arbitrarily dissolved the state executive committee of the party when their four-year tenure had not expired.

Fulani who filed the appeal on behalf of other state executive members of the party, had prayed for a restraining order on Oshiomhole from further according recognition and dealing with Bolarinwa group as the officers of the APC in Kwara State.

The appellant also prayed for further order of the court stopping INEC from accepting nomination of candidates for the 2019 general elections other than the nomination by his group.

It would be recalled that a High Court in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital had, in February gave judgment in favour of the appellant but the judgment of the High Court was set aside by the Court of Appeal, Ilorin division on the ground that the case of the appellant has become academic exercise, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court.

At the resumed hearing yesterday Eleja drew the attention of the court to the fact that the case must be fully determined between now and Friday, the 12th of April, 2019, being a pre-election natter that has a duration of 60 days in the apex court, which will expire on Friday.

However, counsel to Oshiomhole, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN) attempted to convince the court that the matter was not a pre-election matter but a mere dissolution of the state executive, but could not persuade the Court because the APC, in the processes filed at the High Court had admitted it is a pre-election matter.