24 hours after he filed an appeal against his suspension by a Federal Capital Territory High Court, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has bounced back to reckoning as the party’s head, courtesy of a Federal High Court in Kano.
At the Presidential Villa after a meeting with Muhammadu Buhari, he told journalists that some Governors and a minister (believed to be a former Governor in the South) are behind his travails.
But it is all about settling political grudges, and who is APC chairman to determine the ticket-bearer for the 2023 presidential election, insiders say.
Recall that the battle of courts of co-ordinate jurisdiction giving orders and counter-orders has been part of the country’s chequered political history.
There were speculations that Kano was deliberately chosen by forces loyal to Oshiomhole and which need him to swing “things related to 2023 for a particular South-West politician”.
Nonetheless, a Federal High Court in Kano set aside a ruling of the FCT High Court suspending Oshiomhole.
Justice Lewis Allagoa on Thursday ordered the police and Department of State Service (DSS) to provide security for Oshiomhole to resume in his office, though the order was being awaited as at Thursday evening.
Justice Allagoa also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from dealing with any person replacing Oshiomhole as APC National chairman, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, according to media reports.
Granting an interim order sought by one Aliyu Mohammad Rabiu, Justice Allagoa directed all the parties to the suit to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the hearing on notice.
Justice Allagoa adjourned the matter till April 8, for hearing.
On Wednesday, Justice Danlami Senchi of an FCT High Court, granted an order of interim injunction stopping Oshiomhole from parading himself as the APC National Chairman.
However, hours after the ruling, Oshiomhole appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.
Among other claims, Oshiomhole, according to a Channels Television report, alleged that the Abuja court erred in law and arrived at a wrong conclusion which occasioned a miscarriage of justice when it decided that question that his performance as APC national chairman would interfere with the party membership rights of the first to sixth respondents in the suit, at the interlocutory stage.
Oshiomhole who filed the appeal along with the APC, therefore, sought an order of the appellate court to set aside the ruling of the trial court.
Joined as respondents to the suit are Mustapha Salihu, Anselm Ojezua, Sani Gomna, Oshawo Steve, Fani Wabulari, and Princewill Ejogharado.
The Inspector General of Police and Department of State Services (DSS) were listed as the seventh and eighth respondents.
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Jabi District of Abuja on Wednesday ordered the suspension of the Oshiomhole.
Justice Danlami Senchi, gave the order following an application of interlocutory injunction asking the court to suspend Oshiomhole, having being suspended as a member of the APC from his Etsako ward 10 in Edo State.
The application was filed by Mustapha Salihu and five others through their counsel Oluwole Afolabi.
While Oshiomhole is the first respondent, the APC is the second respondent .
The plaintiffs in their application dated and filed on January 16 had contended that Oshiomhole is currently suspended by the party and has not challenged the suspension.
According to the plaintiff lawyer, Oshiomhole’s rights as an APC member is currently abated and cannot continue to act as chairman of the party.
He argued that Oshiomhole cannot continue to enjoy benefits from the APC in view of his suspendion as a member of the party.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), Damian Dodo is the lawyer representing Oshiomhole and the APC.
In his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Senchi, held that the first and second respondent wrongfully kept Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of the party.
The court also ordered that Oshiomole should stop parading himself as the Chairman of the party.
The judge also asked the APC to desist from acknowledging him as the chairman of the party
The court further ordered APC not to grant Oshiomole access to the party Secretariat.
Justice Danlami Senchi said that political parties must be bound by their constitution adding that since Oshiomhole had been evidently suspended by his ward and the suspension not challenged, he has no business any longer parading himself as national chairman of the party.
Meanwhile, hearing in the substantive matter has been adjourned to April 7 and 8 by the Judge.
