The suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress has been lifted by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday.
Before the appellate court nullified Oshiomhole’s suspension, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had postponed indefinitely, the APC National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday (today).
Also on Monday, governors, who were opposed to Oshiomhole, at a meeting in Abuja, engaged in a shouting match with their colleagues supporting him.
But a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Abubakar Yahaya unanimously ordered a stay of execution of the March 4, 2020 order of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Jabi, Abuja, which suspended Oshiomhole from office.
It also restrained the respondents to Oshiomhole’s appeal, including the police and the Department of State Services from continuing to enforce the FCT High Court’s order.
Apart from the police and the DSS, the other respondents restrained by the Court of Appeal were the plaintiffs at the FCT High Court who obtained the order for the suspension of Oshimhole.
They are the Vice-Chairman of the party in the North-East, Mustapha Salihu, and the Chairman of the party in Edo State, Anslem Ojezua; Alhaji Sani Gomna, Oshawo Steven, Fani Wabulari, and Princewill Ejogharado.
Oshiomhole, who was in court with a large number of his supporters, was visibly happy after the ruling was delivered on Monday.
The court lifted Oshiomhole’s suspension following an ex parte application for stay of execution of the FCT High Court’s order which was moved by his lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), on Monday.
Delivering the lead ruling shortly after listening to Olanipekun, Justice Abubakar Yahaya noted that there was the urgent need for the FCT High Court’s order to be lifted to enable Oshiomhole to participate in the APC’s National Executive Council meeting scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
Justice Yahaya said there would not be any status quo to maintain if the NEC meeting held in his absence.
He ruled, “We are of the view that an emergency picture has been painted so that the intervention by this court at this time and in this process is warranted.
“There is information that the National Executive Committee meeting of the second applicant is to be held tomorrow (Tuesday) and following the order of the FCT High Court under consideration, the first applicant (Oshiomhole) will not be able to participate. If this happens, then there is no chance that there will be status quo ante bellum to be maintained. The status quo can only be maintained, in these circumstances, if there is a stay of execution of the FCT High Court’s order.
“It is on this basis that we find merit in this application. We hereby order a stay of execution of the ruling of the FCT High Court in suit number FCT/HC/CV/837/2020 delivered on March 4, 2020, pending the determination of the motion on notice which is now slated for hearing on Friday, March 20, 2020.
