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A Federal High Court, Lagos has declared that a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Council (NEC) scheduled for next week Tuesday must not hold without former Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, Waziri Bulama and Paul Chukwuma.
Justice Mohammed Liman, made the order yesterday in his ruling, restraining APC and its officials from “disturbing, preventing or obstructing Bulama, Ajimobi and Chukwuma from carrying out their duties as Acting National Secretary, Acting National Deputy Chairman (South) and Acting National Auditor of the party.”
The order was sequel to an ex parte application filed by the Lagos State Chairman of APC, Tunde Balogun, which was argued by his counsel, Gani Bello.
In the application, Balogun prayed the court to compel the APC to recognise Bulama as the party’s Acting National Secretary; Ajimobi, as Acting National Deputy Chairman (South) and Chukwuma, as Acting National Auditor.
He told the court that after the three offices became vacant and were allotted to different geopolitical zones, Bulama was nominated from the North East, Ajimobi from the South West; and Chukwuma from the South East.
He, therefore, told the court that the party’s could not effectively function unless Bulama, Ajimobi and Chukwuma were allowed to perform their duties and urged the court to compel the APC to recognise the trio.
Besides, Acting National Secretary of APC, Victor Giadom yesterday said the party was not aware of a Federal High Court Lagos order on the participation of Ajimobi, Bulama and Chukwma in the NEC meeting slated for next Tuesday.
Fielding questions from reporters in Abuja, he said, “We will like to see the court order and if that happens we refer back to our Constitution. We will take it up from that point.”
Giadom, who currently oversees the affairs of the party, assured that the NEC meeting would still hold as scheduled, adding that it behooves invited members to endeavour to attend the parley aimed at repositioning the party.
Meanwhile, Justice Taofikat Oyekan-Abdullahi of a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere yesterday struck out a contempt application filed against National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus and other members of its National Working Committee (NWC).
The judge struck out the application following the applicants’ prayer to withdraw the charge against the respondents.
The claimants in the suit are, Dr. Adegbola Dominic, for state chairman of the party, John Babatunde Agbaje, Fatai Ajisefinni and Taiwo Kuye, of the PDP Lagos State chapter.
In her ruling, the judge rejected the respondents’ prayer to impose a N500,000 fine on the applicants for initiating the contempt proceedings against them.