The Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has fixed June 7 to hear an application challenging its jurisdiction to hear a suit seeking to remove Mr Okunlade Aderoju as Chairman, Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state.
Others joined as respondents in the suit filed by Mr Folahan Oluyinka are the SDP, its national Chairman, Dr Olu Agunloye; Mr Joe Abu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Counsel to the respondents, Mr Michael Lana, at the continuation of hearing of the suit on Thursday, informed the court that he had filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.
Lana further urged the court not to extend the earlier injunction granted the claimant which expired on Thursday.
According to him, doing so would amount to going contrary to the Electoral Act and injurious to his client.
He called the attention of the court to a news conference addressed by the claimant where he was misinforming the public on what did not transpired in court.
In his reply, Counsel to the Claimant, Mr Oluborode Alabi-Oyo informed the court that he intended to file a reply to the preliminary objection filed by the respondents.
Alabi-Oyo urged the court to grant him an adjournment in order to respond to the application.
Justice Ladiran Akintola adjourned the suit till June 7 to hear the claimant’s reply to the application challenging the court’s jurisdiction.
Akintola also ordered the claimant’s counsel to warn his client not to ascribe to the court what did not happen or was said.
Earlier, the claimant in his writ of summon by his counsel, Mr Oluborode Alabi-Oyo urged the court to nullify the declaration of Aderoju as the chairman of SDP in Oyo State by the National Chairman of the party.
He urged the court to nullify the congress of the SDP held on April 9 at Royal Hotel, near University of Ibadan, that produced Aderoju as the chairman.
Oluyinka had contended that the congress was illegal as it was supposed to hold at the National Museum, Ibadan.
Alabi-Oyo urged the court to restrain INEC from recognising Aderoju as the chairman of SDP in Oyo State. (NAN)
