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The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Thursday ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) to admit former Oyo State Governor, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, Waziri Bulama and Paul Chukwuma, to its National Executive Council(NEC) meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 17.
Justice Mohammed Liman ordered that unless Ajimobi, Bulama and Chukwuma were allowed to attend, the meeting must not go on.
The court restrained the APC from “disturbing, preventing or obstructing Waziri Bulama, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi and Paul Chukwuma from carrying out their duties as acting National Secretary, acting National Deputy Chairman(South) and acting National Auditor of the party, respectively.”
The orders followed an ex-parte application filed by the Lagos State APC Chairman, Tunde Balogun, which was argued by his counsel, Gani Bello.
Balogun, in the application, prayed the court to compel the APC to recognise Bulama as the party’s acting National Secretary; Ajimobi, as the acting National Deputy Chairman (South); and Chukwuma, as the acting National Auditor of the party.
He averred that after the three offices became vacant and were zoned to different geopolitical zones, Bulama was nominated by the North East; Ajimobi by the South West and Chukwuma by the South-East.
The Lagos APC chairman said the nomination of Bulama was ratified at the January 14, 2020 APC National Working Committee(NWC) meeting while those of Ajimobi and Chukwuma were ratified at the NWC meeting of March 4, 2020.
“By virtue of the ratification stated above, the nominees have become members of the National Executive Council and are entitled by the constitution of the defendant (APC) to work and operate in acting capacities in their respective offices, pending their swearing-in at the National Convention of the party.
“In spite of the foregoing, the defendant (APC), acting through its officials and officers, particularly, the Deputy National Secretary, has not allowed the nominees to perform their duties as members of the National Executive Council,” Balogun said.
He told the court that the APC National Executive Council could not effectively operate, unless Bulama, Ajimobi and Chukwuma were allowed to perform their duties.
Balogun prayed the court to compel the APC to recognise them.
Justice Liman granted the prayers and adjourned till March 25, 2020 to take the motion on notice.