Appeal Court Awards N600,000 In Favour Of Ali-Modu Sheriff, Others Over Ogun PDP Crisis
An application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to relist its appeal challenging a lower court judgment that validated the tenure of its Ogun State chapter executive council led by Engineer Adebayo Dayo was on Tuesday struck out by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal.
The court ordered that each of them is to be paid N200,000 each, the Appeal Court held.
It would be recalled that the Federal High Court in Lagos had ordered the PDP to recognise the Dayo-led executive in Ogun State on the basis that its tenure would expire in 2020.
Not satisfied with the order the PDP had appealed against the judgment recognising Dayo as the authentic chairman, but it later withdrew the application through its lawyer Godwill Mrakpor, who filed a Notice of Withdrawal.
Based on the development, the lower court dismissed the appeal.
However, another PDP lawyer, Dr Yemi Oke, returned with another application to relist the case on the basis that the PDP faction which briefed Mrakpor then was not the authentic national leadership.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, the Court of Appeal held that the faction that appointed Mrakpor, led by Senator Sheriff, “had the power to do so” when it did.
Besides, it said there was a lower court judgment recognising Mrakpor as PDP’s lawyer.
Dismissing PDP’s appeal, Justice Tukur, in a judgment delivered on July 11, a copy of which was obtained yesterday, held that the appellant also failed to attach the lower court’s ruling appealed against.
“From whatever angle I looked at the application, I find it to be unmeritorious and liable to be dismissed.
“However, in view of my findings on the competence of the application for failure to exhibit the ruling of this court subject of this instant, the proper order befitting this application is one striking it out.
“It is hereby struck out. There shall be costs of N200,000 in favour of the first, fourth and fifth respondents (Chief Dayo, Alhaji Sheriff and Prof Wale Oladapo),” the Court of Appeal held.
The PDP in Ogun had been embroiled in leadership tussle, leading to factions, one led by Sikirulai Ogundele.
The lower court held that the tenure of the Adebayo Dayo-led executive subsists until May 2020 based on a subsisting judgment by Justice Ibrahim Buba.
The court had also nullified the congresses which were held in defiance to Justice Buba’s judgment and orders.
The lower court had also declared the appointment of Tunde Odanye and others as Ogun State PDP Caretaker Committee null and void, saying their appointments were contrary to Justice Buba’s judgment which affirmed Adeboyo Dayo led executive.