Court Restrains APC, Oshiomhole, from Dissolving Kwara Exco

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital, wednesday restrained members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, or any person or officer of the party from dissolving or taking any action towards dissolving the Kwara State executive Committee of the party.

The court granted the application after hearing the submission of Abdulwahab Bamidele, who was the state Chairman of APC; Isola Balogun – Fulani and the state Secretary, Chief Christopher Tunji Ayeni, who are claimants /applicants in the suit number KWS /292/218 filed before Justice TS Umar.

Fulani and Ayeni had dragged Oshiomhole and five others before the court on the purported dissolution of the state executive committee by the NWC of the party.

Other defendants /respondents in the suit include the National Secretary of the party, Mallam Mai Mala Binu; the party; its NWC; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Hon. Bashiru Bolarinwa – for himself and on behalf of members of the purported caretaker committee of the party in the state.

The reliefs granted the applicants by the court stated that “this honourable court restrains the members of the NWC of the third defendant or any person or officers of the third defendant purporting to act for the third defendant from dissolving or taking any action towards dissolving Kwara State executive committee of the third defendant represented by the chairman /applicant who are duly elected to office as members of the executive committee of the third defendant in Kwara state on May 19,2018,in accordance with the constitution of the third defendant pending the hearing and determination of the claimants /applicants motion on notice.

“That this honourable court restrains the sixth defendant and other members of the so called or purported caretaker committee of Kwara State chapter of the APC from showing off or parading themselves or performing any function or duty specified for members of the executive committee of the third defendant either individualy or collectively as members of the executive committee of members of caretaker committee of the third defendant in Kwara State pending the hearing and determination of the claimants claimants applicants /applicant motion on notice.That the motion on notice is hereby adjourned to August 7, 2018, for hearing,” the judge said.

Meanwhile, the Fulani-led APC in Kwara State has expressed sadness over the defection of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and other political leaders from its fold.

In a statement issued in Ilorin by the state Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, the party said it believed the window of reconciliation was not closed.

“We are genuinely worried over the gale of defections that hit our party yesterday (Tuesday). The reason is simple. Senate President, Saraki and the State Governor, Ahmed, were the life-wire of the APC in Kwara State.

“To their credit, the APC won virtually all the available electoral positions across the 16 local government areas (LGAs) of Kwara State. It is therefore very doubtful if this same feat could be replicated without them and other aggrieved party members in the forthcoming elections.

“It is on the basis of this that we, as legitimate and duly elected members of the state executive committee of the APC in Kwara State call on President Muhammadu Buhari, our National Chairman, Oshiomhole, and other national leaders of our party to urgently intervene in this imbroglio before it becomes irredeemable.

“As the party’s foot soldiers in Kwara State, who also felt the pulses of the aggrieved members, we believe that the window of reconciliation is not still closed,” the statement added.