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.
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