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THE plot by the Governor Godwin Obaseki faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state to outs Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as National Chairman of the APC, failed yesterday, after a High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice S.O.Oriji, has dismissed the suit filed by one Steven Oshawo and others who were seeking to remove Oshiomhole from office.
Recall that Oshawo and others from ward 10, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, (Oshiomhole constituency), had gone to court asking it to stop Oshiomhole from parading himself as National Chairman of APC while alleging that Oshiomhole has been suspended from the party.
But Oshiomhole in his defence, argued that the appellants do not have the powers to suspend him according to the constitution of the APC, besides all the plaintiffs in the suit were earlier suspended in their respective units in ward 10. Therefore, at the time they purported to have suspended the National Chairman, they have no such powers anymore since they were earlier on suspension.
Oshiomhole also noted before the court that article 21 of the APC constitution automatically expels any party member who ran to court without exhausting the provisions of the APC constitution, therefore described the suit as lacking merit and should be dismissed.
However, on the 20th of January, 2020, upon being served with all the processes by the Defendant, the Plaintiffs filed a motion seeking to withdraw the suit filed against Oshiomhole. But Counsel to Oshiomhole, Ikhide Ehighelua Esq. opposed the application through a counter-affidavit and urged the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
Ehighelua stressed that “My Lord, this matter should be dismissed because discontinuance is not directed at any peace. The Plaintiffs have gone to file another matter with similar reliefs in the FCT High Court so the issue of discontinuance in this matter does not hold water because they knew already they have no case here, so the suit should be dismissed in its entirety my Lord and award damages to the Defendant”.
Counsel to Oshawo and others, Abang Peter, said the plaintiff were no longer interested in the suit against the National Chairman, adding that “upon deep reflection, the Claimants thought it wise to instruct that we discontinue the suit against the APC National Chairman”.
However, in his ruling, Justice S.O.Oriji, strike out the matter and awarded N100,000 cost against the plaintiffs.