BREAKING : Court suspends Oshiomhole as APC National chairman

An Abuja High Court on Wednesday ordered that the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, be suspended pending the determination of a substantive suit.

The judge, Danlami Senchi, who led the proceedings gave the order following an application of interlocutory injunction asking the court to suspend Mr Oshiomhole, having been suspended as a member of the APC by the party in Edo State.

The application was filed by an applicant, Oluwale Afolabi.

While Oshiomhole is the first respondent, and APC is the second respondent.

Afolabi in his application dated and filed on January 16 had contended that Mr Oshiomhole is presently suspended by the party and has not challenged the suspension.

According to Afolabi, Oshiomhole’s rights as an APC member is currently reduced and he cannot continue to act as chairman of the party.

He argued that Oshiomhole cannot continue to enjoy benefits from the APC, despite his suspension as a member of the party.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Damian Dodo, is the lawyer representing Oshiomhole and the APC., in his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Senchi held that the first and second respondents wrongfully kept Oshiomhole as the national chairman of the party.

The court also ordered that Oshiomole should stop parading himself as the chairman of the APC.

He urged the APC to stop acknowledging him as the chairman of the party.

The court has also given the APC orders not to grant Oshiomhole access to the party secretariat.

Oshiomhole was controversially suspended by the APC in Edo State after he was suspended by the party’s leadership in his ward in the state.

The former Edo State governor, however, objected the suspension, saying it was invalid. They said only the party headquarters could suspend national officers of the party including the chairman.

Oshiomhole is having a crisis with his successor in Edo and fellow party member, Governor Godwin Obaseki.