Abdulrahaman
abdulrazak
Supreme Court Fixes
Abdulrahaman
abdulrazak
Supreme Court Fixes Date over Kwara APC leadership
tussle
The Supreme Court has fixed April 10, 2019 to hear an appeal in
the All Progressive Congress (APC) leadership struggle in Kwara
State.
The apex court fixed the date, because hearing notices were not
served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and
the caretaker chairman of the party in the state, Mr Bashiru
Bolarinwa.
The court is billed to determine the appeal filed by the
factional chairman of the party in the state, Mr Ishola Fulani.
Fulani through his counsel Mr Kehinde Eleja (SAN), had
approached the court to challenge the powers of the National
chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomole.
He contended that Oshiomole had arbitrarily dissolve the state
executive committee of the party when their four year tenure had
not expired.
Fulani had filed the appeal on behalf of the other state
executive members of the party.
They want the apex court to restrain Oshiomole from further
recognition and dealing with Bolarinwa group as the officer of the
party in the state.
The appellant also prays the court for another order of court
stopping the INEC from accepting nominations of candidates for the
2019 general elections, except nomination by his group.
A High court in Ilorin had in February, ruled in favour of the
appellant but the judgment was overturned by the court of Appeal,
Ilorin division.
The judgment was overturned on the grounds that the case of the
Fulani group had become an academic exercise prompting the movement
to the Supreme court.
At the resume hearing today, Eleja drew the attention of the
court to the fact that the case must be determined before April
12.
He said this was because it was a pre-election matter whose
duration is 60 days in the apex court which shall expire on April
12.
However, counsel to Oshiomole, Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN,
attempted to convince the court that the matter was not a
pre-election case.
Olujimi said that the matter rather, was a mere dissolution of
the state exco.
Justice Vivour who presided over the panel, turned down the
arguments of Olujinmi because APC, in its processes filed from the
High court, had admitted that it was a pre-election matter.