Politics

Labour Party Leadership Tussle: Omotosho drags INEC, IGP to court

 

With Mumini Abdulkareem

Former gubernatorial candidate of the Kwara State Chapter of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2015 election in the state, Mike Omotosho has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inspection General of Police, Ibrahim Idris before an Abuja Division of the Federal High court over the leadership tussle that is rocking the party.

He is among other things, seeking an order of injunction restraining the INEC from recognising and dealing with one Alhaji Abdulkadir AbdulaSalam as chairman of the Labour Party, and the IG from providing him with police protection.

The trial judge is Justice Gabriel Kolawole while counsel to the plaintiffs is Festus Keyamo (SAN).

Omotosho who spoke to Pilot Politics on the issue last night through a telephone chat in Abuja forwarded copies of the court documents to authenticate the action adding that it was wrong for INEC to still leave the name of AbdulaSalam on its website despite monitoring the process that brought him (Omotosho) in and the police still providing him escort.

Labour Party is the first plaintiff and the National Working Committee of the party was listed as the 2nd to 18th plaintiffs.

The suit also asked the court to restrain IGP Idris from providing police protection under the guise of being the chairman of the party.

In a motion on notice brought by the plaintiffs which listed Dr. Mike Omotosho as the 19th plaintiff, the court was asked to declare that by the combined provisions of Sections 85 and 86 of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the party, INEC was not empowered to overrule or disregard the removal of Salam as national chairman of the party by the plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs also sought a declaration of the court that by the same provisions above, INEC was not empowered to overrule or disregard the subsequent election of the Omotosho as the national chairman of the party.

In furtherance to this, the plaintiffs are seeking “an order of injunction restraining the 1st defendant from recognizing or dealing with the 3rd defendant as the National Chairman of the 1st plaintiff and an order of injunction restraining the 2nd defendant from giving police protection to the 3rd defendant as the National Chairman of the 1st plaintiff.”

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