By Dayo Omoogun
In another twist to the Oshiomhole/ Obaseki high drama, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomole is back in suspension
courtesy an order of the Appeal Court delivered on Tuesday in a unanimous judgement of the three-man panel of the court. An Abuja High court had ordered his suspension on March 4th, 2020 following a petition by members of his party from his ward and state. The appellate court has now held that the suspension order by the lower court was in order.
In addition, the Appeal Court held that the Abuja High Court has territorial jurisdiction over the matter since he resides in Abuja and the Party has its office in Abuja, contrary to the claims of Oshiomole when he approached it. The appeal court had earlier granted him a reprieve on March 16 this year which enabled him to resume office the next day but with this new development the reprieve has expired.
What this means is that his deputy Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the immediate past governor of Oyo state, will have to step in while Oshiomole goes into limbo, stripped of all his privileges of the office of the Chairman.
In a weird coincidence, the same day Obaseki resigned, Oshiomole’s suspension was reinstated. It is interesting to note that early on Tuesday Oshiomhole had laughed off Obaseki’s resignation from the party, describing it as “good riddance to bad rubbish” unaware that the court’s hammer was about to fall on him.
For the Obaseki camp, it would seem that the damage has been done especially with his disqualification and his announced resignation yesterday.