The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, affirmed the suspension of Adams Oshiomole as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The appellate court upheld the decision of the Federal Capital Territory High Court which in March ordered the suspension of Oshiomole as well as parading himself as the national chairman of the party.
In a unanimous judgmentt, the first appeal delivered by Justice Eunice Onyemanam ,the court held that the trial court had territorial jurisdiction to have entertained the suit as it did .
The court also withdrew his rights and privileges as national chairman of the party including his security details.
The appellate predicated its decision on the ground that Oshiomole as the first appellant is based in Abuja while the APC also had its national headquarters in Abuja.
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In the judgment in the second appeal delivered by Justice Mohammed Lamido, the court held that there was no basis for the two appellants to hold that they were denied fair hearing during proceedings at the trial court .
It further held that the suspension of Oshiomole from ward 10 of Etsako local government of Edo was ratified at the ward , local government and state level as required by law.
“The identity of those who suspended Oshiomole were not in doubt because in there unchallenged affidavit they made it clear that they were party members and officers of the party, therefore the appeal lacks merit,” the court held
In the two dismissed appeals Oshiomole and the APC were the appellants.
On March 4, Juctice Danlami Senchi, a judge of the FCT high court in Abuja, ordered the suspension of Oshiomhole as national chairman pending the determination of a suit filed by one Oluwale Afolabi.
Senchi said it was wrong of the APC to have kept Oshiomhole as chairman after he was suspended by the Edo chapter of the party.
But Oshimhole approached the court of appeal seeking a stay of execution of the judgement.
Meanwhile, The National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC has named former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, as its acting national chairman.
Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC national publicity secretary, in a statement, said this is as a result of the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole.
“Guided by advice from the Party’s legal department in line with the provisions of Section 14.2. (iii) of the Party’s constitution, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Sen. Abiola Ajimobi will serve as the Party’s Acting National Chairman.
“According to Section 14.2. (iii),of the APC constitution, the Deputy National Chairman, North/South “Shall act as the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone,” the statement read.
However, Ajimobi, lately, has been away from the public.
Reports has it that is receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed illness in a Lagos hospital.
