Ondo APC Crisis: Adetimehin Floors Kekemeke in Court

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

A Federal High Court sitting in Akure has dismissed a suit filed by Mr Isaac Kekemeke to nullify Adetimehin’s appointment as the Ondo state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

In his ruling, the court  declared that the appointment of Engr Ade Adetimehin as the state Acting Chairman is in order.

According to the presiding Judge, the Court held that the two plaintiffs, Gboyega Adedipe and Desmond Dejumola lacked locus standI to institute the case, as only Kekemeke had power to challenge his suspension in Court provided he had exhausted internal mechanism of dispute resolution contained in the APC Constitution.

While delivering the judgement, Justice F.A. Olubanjo ruled that the decision of an investigative panel that indicted Mr Kekemeke and the party’s state executive meeting held in June 2017 where he was suspended remained valid and should have been challenged internally by the plaintiffs rather than resorting to a court’s action.

The judge said it was a settled case in law that intra-party dispute must be exhaustively resolved internally before challenging same in court, noting that the plaintiffs had no record of handling the suspension of Kekemeke and appointment of Adetimehin within the party’s structures before heading to the court.

Reacting to the verdict however, Lawyer to the plaintiffs, Mr Olugboyero Akinola vowed that his clients would file a stay of execution and appeal against the judgement at the court of appeal immediately.

Akinola noted that the judge refused to rule on the substantive suit that would have dealt with the issue at hand, thus his client would not accept the judgement.

Also reacting, Counsel to the defendants, Mr Femi Emodamori said the judgement reflected the true position of the APC Constitution, Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Emodamori expressed satisfaction with the decision of the court to uphold preliminary objections against the suit.