BIMPE ADEJOBI
The Political crisis rocking the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken another dimension as a member of the “Omoluabi Progressives Caucus” had approached the Osun State High Court, Osogbo Judicial Division to seek redress over what they termed as illegal and criminal attack of the alleged expelled members of the party.
Although, the national leadership of the party is yet to ratify the alleged illegal expulsion of the eighty-six (86) members of the party, which included two former Chairmen of the party in the State, former Secretary, former Senator, former Commissioners, party chieftains and other political office holders during Aregbesola’s tenure as Governor of Osun State.
The source from the Court revealed that the development has shown that the crisis rocking the party in the State was yet to be laid to rest.
The Motion on Notice in Suit N0:HOS/M.508/2023,was brought before the Court in pursuant to Sections 6(6a-c) and 44(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and Sections 53-58 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law(ACJL) of Osun State 2018 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the Honourable Court.
The application dated 10th day of October, 2023, was also brought before the State High Court under provisions Of Section 24-26 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law(ACJL) of Osun State 2018, which empowers a Judge to arrest, or order the arrest of any suspect.
Adding that Section 53 of the same law empowers a Presiding Judge to order a person likely to commit a crime or cause of a breach of peace to enter into a bond or do an undertaking to be of good behavior, or to do certain things, or to refrain from doing certain things.
It would be recalled recently that no fewer than Eighty-six (86) members of the party loyal to the former Governor of the State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s, were expelled from the party over the allegation of anti- party activities.
Ogbeni Aregbesola, who was immediate past Minister of Interior in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, launched the “Omoluabi Progressive Caucus” of the party in his country home at Ilesa recently, and the action did not go down well with the party leaders in the State belonging to “Ilerioluwa Caucus”, who saw the action as an affront to the party’s leadership in the State.
The Ilerioluwa caucus of the party in the State, which belongs to the immediate past Governor of the State and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Gbeyega Oyetola, had been at loggerhead with the Aregbesola Caucus of the party since during the tenure of Oyetola as Governor, particularly, immediately after the shaky victory of Oyetola in 2018 Governorship Election in the State.
Also, the Ilerioluwa Caucus of the party is yet to forgive the Aregbesola Caucus of the party, formerly known as The Osun Progressives (TOP), because they believed that the internal crisis orchestrated by Rauf Aregbesola and his men lead to the loss of the party in the reelection Governorship bid of Oyetola to Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Filing the application on behalf of “Omoluabi Progressive Caucus” of the APC at the State High Court, Tutu Olanrewaju, a member of the Caucus, did so. through his Legal Counsel, Barrister O. Popoola.
Olanrewaju sought the reliefs of the Court among other things, to restrain the Respondent, the State Party Chairman in the State, from preventing members of the “Omoluabi Progressive Caucus” to having access to the Party Secretariat along Gbobgan-Ibadan Road, Osogbo, Osun State and to stop anybody acting on behalf of the State Chapter of the APC from operating, either to cause violence or to result to self- help against the “Omoluabi Progressive Caucus” pending the determination of the Suit.
The Court is yet to pick a date for hearing of the case as at the time of filing this report but the Respondent has been dully served.