In a significant development, the Osun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken legal recourse by filing a lawsuit against the former governor, Rauf Aregbesola, before a Federal High Court in Osogbo. This legal move, represented by a legal team comprising Ayodele Kusamotu, Yemi Akingbade, R. Oloyede, and B. Nwayen, aims to address the alleged role of Aregbesola in causing divisions within the party.
The crux of the matter lies in the party’s request to the court to declare the former governor’s inability to validly lead suspended members of the APC and others associated with them in launching a political group named “Omoluabi Progressives” within the party. The APC contends that such an action, using the party’s logo, symbol, and slogan, runs afoul of both Nigeria’s Constitution and the internal constitution of the APC.
The party asserts that Aregbesola, being a former governor, lacks the constitutional power to initiate a group within the party, and, therefore, seeks an order from the court to proscribe and prohibit the existence of this group within the APC in Osun State.
This legal action, documented in suit No. FHC/OS/CS/1/2024 and dated January 4, 2024, involves the APC joining Aregbesola and three others, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Rasheed Afolabi, and ‘Lani Baderinwa, who is Aregbesola’s loyalist and former Commissioner for Information in the state.
As the legal proceedings unfold, this case highlights the intricacies of internal party dynamics and constitutional interpretations within the political landscape of Osun State.
