The All Progressives Congress in Osun State has dragged former Governor Rauf Aregbesola before the Federal High Court, sitting in Osogbo for allegedly creating a faction within the party.
An assistant secretary of the Osun APC, Waheed Adeniran, in an affidavit in support of the Originating Summons filed by the party’s lawyer, Ayodele Kusamotu, urged the court to declare Aregbesola’s formation of a group called Omoluabi Caucus, an act of anti-party.
The suit marked FHC/OS/CS/1/2024 also has the Independent National Electoral Commission as a defendant.
Also joined as defendants were a former member of the House of Representatives, Rasheed Afolabi, and Mr. Lani Baderinwa, who served in Aregbesola’s cabinet as the Commissioner for Information.
The Osun APC wants the court to make “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st defendant from attending or recognising or accepting any congress or convention held or to be held by the 2nd -4th defendants and any other persons associating with them in their factional and parallel political group or association for the purpose of inaugurating or constituting the Executive Council or Committee of the plaintiff at any level or nominating candidates for any elective positions under the provisions of the Constitution the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) in the name or on the platform of the plaintiff.”
The plaintiff is also seeking “an order prohibiting the illegal factional and parallel association of the 2nd-4th defendants launched as Omoluabi Progressives (APC) in similar or same name of the plaintiff impersonating the plaintiff’s registered logo, symbol and slogan to function as a political group.
“General damages of N5m jointly or severally against the 2nd-4th defendants in favour of the plaintiff.”
Punch/ Mary Ogboye
