The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, 2nd June
has confirmed 30th June for the hearing of the substantive case brought before
the court.
Justice Mohammed, in a ruling joined the newly elected
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Hon. Samson
Bamgbose and three others, Bimbo Lanre Balogun, Segun Awoyomi and Mulikat
Kusimo as parties in a suit filed by the national leadership of the PDP at the
behest of Hon. Ladi Adebutu against the erstwhile Chief Adebayo Dayo-led State
Executive Committee of the Party.
The Court however upheld that Prince Ajibola Oluyede will
continue as counsel to the PDP Ogun State Executive Committee. The Plaintiff’s
lawyer first made a proposal that the parties seeking to be joined should be
joined in their personal capacity and the matter proceed to substantive hearing
with Adebayo Dayo representing the State Exco.
Prince Oluyede rejected the proposal and made a counter
proposal that Hon. Samson Bamgbose and others apart from Adebayo Dayo who can
stay on as a party in his own personal capacity.
It would be recalled that Dayo had written a 30th of March,
2020, purportedly debriefing Oluyede as counsel to the State Exco.
This move was, however, challenged by Bamgbose and other
members of the State Executive Committee who retained Oluyede as their counsel
through their counter letters of 31st March, 2020 and 8th April, 2020.
Prince Oluyede informed the court that Dayo has been
compromised and his intention is to align with the plaintiff to get a judgment
that will be favourable to him and the plaintiff, hence he cannot decide who
should be the counsel to State Exco; more so, he has been suspended and his
term of office has also elapsed.
Ruling, the court granted the application of interested
parties seeking to be joined as defendants in the matter (Bamgbose,
Lanre-Balogun, Awoyomi and Kusimo) and further held that Oluyede will continue
to act as counsel to the Ogun State PDP Exco while Odugbesan will be counsel to
Dayo.
After much back and forth, the court eventually accepted
that Prince Oluyede will continue to act as counsel to the Ogun State PDP Exco
led by Bamgbose while Odugbesan will be counsel to Dayo.
Chief Adeniyi Odugbesan tried in vain to convince the court
on why he should be heard and admitted as the new counsel to the State Exco.
With this development, the effort by Dayo and his cohorts to
collude with the Ladi Adebutu group and have a smooth sail by shutting out the
Bamgbose-led State Exco has failed woefully.
However, Adebayo Dayo will remain as first defendant and his
representative will be Chief Adeniyi Odugbesan while Prince Ajibola Oluyede
will represent Bamgbose-led State Exco.
The court thereafter adjourned till 30th June, 2020, for
definite hearing of the matter.