Court Affirms ACCORD National Secretary’s Authority Over Legal Representation in Ongoing Case in Ibadan
Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan has ruled that Article 25 of the ACCORD constitution, relied upon by the Oyo State Working Committee of the party to engage a legal practitioner, supersedes the provision of Article 18 relied upon by the party’s National Chairman, Mr Maxwell Ngbudem.
Justice Agomoh held that, under the ACCORD constitution, all party officials and directorates are to operate under the office of the National Secretary, who is empowered to organise legal representation for the party in any case.
The declaration has laid to rest the issue of whether the National Chairman or the National Secretary of the party is constitutionally empowered to appoint legal representation.
By implication, the latest ruling has paved the way for the continuation of the suit arising from the controversy over the choice of ACCORD governorship candidate, which was earlier adjourned until September 30.
In the case with suit number FHC/IB/CS/97/26, counsel to the plaintiff, Mr Tunji Ogunrinde, SAN, is praying the Federal High Court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove the name of Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, which was allegedly uploaded on the electoral umpire’s website by a section of the party leadership, and replace it with the name of the alleged winner of the party primary and duly elected candidate of the party for the 2027 general election, Alhaji Kunle Busari.
Reacting to the judgment, the ACCORD National Secretary, Dr Adebukola Ajaja, appealed to party supporters to remain calm, reiterating that the leadership was working to assert its supremacy and satisfy the yearnings for the emergence of the popularly elected candidate as the party’s governorship flag bearer through legal procedures.
The Oyo State Secretary of ACCORD, Hon. Olayinka Dairo, described the court’s affirmation regarding the lawyer to the plaintiff and the lawyer for the first defendant as a welcome development and a victory for the rule of law.
Dairo called on party supporters to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring them that the will of the majority would prevail over minority interests.
The State Treasurer of ACCORD, Hon. Nurudeen Okunola, said the judgment was a triumph of truth over what he described as “falsehoods and deception of political interlopers.”