Ladipo Market: Court Stops Aguiyi Ironsi Market Chairman, Chief Chukwuma Onyebinanma From Conducting Election

KINGSLEY EBERE 

The purported plans of the Chairman of Aguiyi Ironsi International Market Association, Chief Chukwuma Onyebinanma, to rig the forthcoming market election with the appointment of cronies as members of the electoral committee, has backfired following the order of the Lagos State High Court on 8th October, 2024. 

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the Lagos State High Court presided by Justice A.m. Lawal has ordered Chief Onyebinanma not to conduct any election in the market forthwith.

In the interlocutory injunction, which has been served on Chukwuma Onyebinanma, on the ex-parte motion with the suit number ID/8580GCM/2024 filed by Kelechi Oputa, Emeka Ifeora and Chimezie Eke against Chukwuma Onyebinanm, the Court gave the explicit order restraining the conduct of election in the market.

The order stated, “A Pre-Emptive Order of Injunction of the Honourable Court restraining the Defendant/Respondent whether himself, his servants, agent, privies, representatives, cohorts or otherwise from conducting Aguiyi Ironsi Market Traders Associates Election or taking any steps whatsoever that may be prejudicial to the Applicants interest regarding the Association forthcoming Election pending the Applicants compliance with the High Court of Lagos State Practice Direction No. 2 of 2019, on Pre-action Protocol or such time as may be ordered by the Court”.

This restraining order given by Justice Lawal has empowered the Mushin LG to organize a peaceful election devoid of violence and invalidated the electoral committee appointed by onyebinanma.

Chief Chukwuma Onyebinanma had earlier snubbed the Mushin LG, who canceled the electoral committee and constituted another one which will be comprised nine Committee members. He rejected the directive by the Council Chairman and directed his own electoral committee to move on with the election.

Thus, the aggrieved parties in the market went to Court and obtained the restraining order stopping the election.

However, it was not certain if Onyebinanma will comply with the Court order because he had earlier dared the Mushin LG, which is the owner of the market and went on with plans to the conduct election.

Chief  Onyebinanma had dared the Mushin Local Government by going ahead to release election time table, with which he targeted to rig the market election with his appointed cronies as members of the committee.

He released the timetable and ordered the committee to disregard any directives from the Mushin Local Government, which is owner of the market. Onyebinanma had claimed that he had enough men on ground that can challenge both the Mushin LG and Lagos State while directing the committee to move on with the election before the Court restraining order on 8th October, 2024.