Oyo LP crisis: Court refuses motion by faction

A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday refused a motion by factional members of the Labour Party (LP) seeking to stop the recognition of the interim committee of the party in Oyo State.

In an ex parte application brought yesterday by their counsel J. D. Olaniyan, the aggrieved LP members led by Gbade Agunbiade, Funmilayo Olaniyi, Aremo Adepoju and 12 others sought an order to restrain

the current executive from recognizing the members of the party’s interim committee in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that the nature of the application is such that cannot be taking without notifying the parties mentioned in the suit.
The judge said the court can only grant ex parte application if it realizes there is no other way to redress a wrong. He therefore ordered the applicants to serve the originating summons on the parties before the adjourned date.
The suit joins as defendants the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the party’s National Chairman Dan Nwanyanwu, Joseph Akinlaja and Gbenga Olayemi and 17 other members of the interim committee.
The suit has been adjourned to May 20 for hearing.