Expelled and Suspended APC Members Drag Odigie-Oyegun & others to court

National Chairman, All Progressives Congress,
 John Odigie Oyegun

Some expelled and suspended members of the Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress have dragged the party and its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, before the Bayelsa State High Court over alleged violation of their rights by the party.

The plaintiffs are Chief Perekeme Kpodoh, Mr. Sunday Oputu, Chief Linus Opuakpa, Mr. Koripamo Enoch, Mr. Christopher Abariowei, Mr. Harrow Zuokumo, Mrs. Rosemary Okia and Fred Akamu.

Others are Godwin Sidi, Enabuna Timidi, Kingsley Wire, Daniel Oweizidei, Moses Dennis, Prince Awini and Emmanuel Weke.

The claimants/plaintiffs, in suit number YHC/127/2015, filed on July 27, 2015, by their counsel, Funlayefa Seibokuro, sued the party and Odigie-Oyegun, as 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.

They also sued the Bayelsa State Chairman of the APC, Chief Tiwei Orunimighe; his deputy, Eddy Julius; State Secretary, Marlin Daniel, and a member, APC Board of Trustees, Peres Peretu, as 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th defendants respectively to court.

The plaintiffs, in the fresh suit before the Bayelsa State High Court, Yenagoa, are seeking an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants, their agents, servants and/or privies from recognising/dealing with the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th defendants as state chairman, deputy, secretary and member BoT of the APC respectively, pending the determination of the suit.

They also sought an order restraining the APC, Odigie-Oyegun, their agents, servants and/or privies, however described, from recognising/dealing with or continuing to recognise/deal with Orunimighe, Julius, Daniel and Peretu as state chairman, deputy, secretary and BoT member pending the determination of the suit.

The claimants further prayed the court to restrain the defendants, their agents, servants and privies from interfering with or abridging their rights as members of the APC, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

The claimants, therefore, sought the court to declare that the purported expulsion of the 1st and 2nd claimants from the party was unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

They prayed the court to declare the purported suspension of the 3rd to 15th claimants from the APC as unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

Part of the submissions of the claimant was that the injunction was designed to preserve an existing legal right from invasion and to constrain parties to maintain the status quo, pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice.

The claimants contended, “We submit that there are serious issues to be determined in the suit. A clear consideration of the statement of claim will raise the following legal and jurisprudential issues: Whether the claimants are not entitled to a demand from the 3rd defendant to give accounts of the income and expenditure of the Bayelsa State chapter of the APC?

“Whether the 4th and 5th defendants can still validly function as Bayelsa State Deputy Chairman and Bayelsa State Secretary respectively after they have resigned from those offices? Whether the 6th defendant is qualified to hold an office as a member of BoT of the APC? Whether the purported expulsion/suspension of the claimant followed due process and is valid? Whether the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th defendants are right to handle the affairs of the Bayelsa State APC whimsically as they have done. “