Kwara PDP Chairmanship Tussle: Court to hear Fagbemi’s suit challenging Oyedepo, today

By Mumini AbdulKareem

The Federal High Court will today (Monday) in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, begin hearing the suite between Prince Sunday Fagbemi and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Iyiola Oyedepo.
Fagbemi and his Lagos-based counsel, Azeez Olagoke, confirmed the issue to National Pilot, in a telephone chat, last night.
The case is before Justice N.A Afolabi of the Federal High Court.
Fagbemi reportedly defiled the national leadership of the party to drag Oyedepo to court despite the latter’s affirmation of Oyedepo as authentic chairman following the national convention that produced Prince Uche Secondus in Abuja, last year.
Plaintiffs in the suite include Chief Moses Ibiyemi who contested for the party’s legal adviser, Alhaji Lateef Adebayo Oloyin who lost out in the party’s secretary, ex-officio contestant, Mr John Ashonibare and Mr. Hakeem Ajape Issa who contested the post of the Kwara Central Assistant Secretary.
PDP (first defendant), Oyedepo, Abdullateef Alakawa Gidado, Alhaja Fatmoh Gegele Magaji, Mahmud Haliru Dantsoho and Hon Gabriel Olatunji are defendants.
Those that were served the notice before now according to the writ of summon obtained by National Pilot included the Wadata plaza secretary of the party, among others.
Oyedepo on Sunday had described the issue as a “good and welcome development” in a text message to our reporter.
He had since received the Certificate of Return from the national; leadership which had reportedly warned aggrieved members to explore internal mechanism rather than going to court to resolve their grievances.
In the originating writ of summon, Fagbemi, among others, said the State Congress of the party held on the 13th November, 2017 was null and void and not conducted in accordance with provisions of the PDP guidelines.
He also alleged failure to conduct the congress with list of delegates approved for same by the National Caretaker Committee of the party and sought for perpetual injunction restraining the 2nd Defendants (Oyedepo) from parading himself or acting as chairman.
He therefore asked the court to determine among other prayers, whether the Congress Planning/Electoral Committee had the right to add, subtract or substitute the approved list of delegates given to it by the National Caretaker Committee of the party for the purpose of conducting congress of Kwara State Chapter of the said Party.