Former Vice-Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Fouad Oki, has taken the party and two others to a Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly preventing him from participating in the congress conducted in Lagos State by the State Congress Committee of the party on October 16, 2021.
Oki claimed to have been disallowed from entering the venue of the congress and therefore prevented him from participating in the congress.
Along with the APC, other defendants in the suit include Chairman, Caretaker Committee of APC, Lagos State, Dr. Adebayo Adelabu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first to third defendant respectively.
The plaintiff, in his originating summons, said the congress was not done in accordance with Section 3 (2), (6) and Part 1 of the First Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He also stated that the purported congress was contrary to Section 156 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended); Article 331) of the All Progressives Congress Constitution, 2014 (as amended), the APC guidelines for State Congresses and in defiance to the judgment of the Federal High Court in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/548/2021 – Fouad Oki vs All Progressives Congress (APC) and Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
Oki, however, urged the court to determine whether in view of Article 9.3 of the APC constitution, Exhibit FO7A, the plaintiff ought to have been disallowed from entering the venue of the congress and therefore prevented from participating in the congress.
He also urged whether in view of flagrant infraction of Article 9.3 of the APC constitution, the congress is not null, void and of no effect whatsoever for having been conducted with a touch of illegality and abuse of Article 9.3 of the APC’s constitution?”
In his affidavit of non-multiciplity of action, Oki averred that he is plaintiff in the instant suit, as well as a chieftain in the first defendant’s political party (APC) and by virtue of which he is conversant with the facts and circumstances of the case to which he depose to herein, except otherwise stated by him.
He noted: “There is no other suit between the parties herein other than this suit relating to the same subject matter, same issues and same claims pending before this court or any other court of competent jurisdiction.”
