By Adenitan Akinola (Osogbo)
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has dragged Governor Ademola Adeleke before a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, for allegedly appointing a card-carrying member of his political party as the Chairman of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC.
An assistant secretary of the party in Osun State, Mr Waheed Adeniran, in an affidavit in support of the originating summons filed by its lawyer, Mr Ayodele Kusamotu, urged the court to set aside the appointment of Mr Hasim Abioye as the OSIEC Chairman.
The suit marked FHC/OS/CS/2/2024 also has the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as defendants.
Also joined as defendants were, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Attorney General of Osun State and Commissioner for Justice, the Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Hasim Akintunde Abioye and the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC.
The APC contended that “the nomination and appointment of a partisan person as the Chairman of the state electoral body offends law and will not guarantee credible local government elections in which other political parties are expected to participate”.
The leading opposition party in the state further claimed that “the new Chairman, having been a Card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state will not be neutral and impartial in the local government election processes”.
The party sought “a declaration that the 3rd Defendant cannot validly and legally nominate and forward the name of the 7th Defendant as a bonafide member of his registered political party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the 5th and 6th Defendants for screening and confirmation to be appointed by him as the Chairman of the 8th Defendant, Osun State Independent Electoral Commission”.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining 7th and 8th Defendants or any of their members or agents or officers or any other person or persons acting on their behalf from conducting local government elections into Osun State Local Government Councils, Osun State Local Development Councils, Osun State Local Council Administrative Offices and Osun State Local Council Area Offices until the 7th Defendant is removed from office as the Chairman of the 8th Defendant reconstituted”.
“An order setting aside or nullifying the appointment of the 7th Defendant or removing the 7th Defendant from office as the Chairman of the 8th Defendant”.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant or any of its officers or agents or any person or persons acting on behalf of the 2nd Defendant from releasing lists of voters or registers of voters or any electoral materials or electoral electronic gadgets or devices to 7th and 8th Defendants or any members or any officers of the 8th Defendant for the purpose of conducting local government elections in Osun State until the 7th Defendant is removed as the Chairman of the 8th Defendant and 8th Defendant is properly re-constituted by the appropriate authorities”.
“General damages of (5,000,000.00) five million naira jointly or severally against the 3rd-8th Defendants in favour of the plaintiff. Cost of Action at (2,000,000.00) two million naira jointly or severally against the 3rd-8th Defendants in favour of the plaintiff”.
It would be recalled that opposition parties in the state have been tackling Governor Adeleke since he announced Mr Hasim Abioye as the Chairman of the Osun Independent Electoral Commission.
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