Labour Party chairman, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam Paiko

Crisis rocking the Labour Party in Ogun State over the party structure deepened as the factional Chairman in the state ,Chief Biodun Owolabi, dragged the national Chairman, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam Paiko and 10 others to the Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta .

Owolabi and two other plaintifs in the writ of summon made available to newsmen in Abeokuta asked the court to restrain the national chairman of the party and 10 others from interferring in the party activities .

Those who were asked to be restrained by the court apart from the national Chairman ,include: the factional state party Chairman , Abayomi Arabambi, Independent National Electoral Commission, Inspector General of Police, Director General of the State Security Service and a governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party , Oladipupo Adebutu.

Others were: the Chairman of the PDP in the state, Hon. Sikirulahi Ogundele ,the National legal adviser of Labour Party, Oyelekan Akingbade , former Chairman of the party in the state, Bode Simeon, a Chieftain of the party in the state , Saburi Aroyewun and the party itself .

In the writ of summon , the plaintiffs sought for an injunction restraining Arabambi, Adebutu,Akingbade and Ogundele from interfering, manipulating and hijacking the affairs of the Labour Party.

The writ also restrains the national Chairman(5th defendant), INEC (2ND defendant) , IGP (3RD defendant), D-G DSS ( 4th), Simeon (9th), Aroyehun (7th) and Labour Party (1st defendant) from either parading themselves or interfering in the activities of the party .

The Party in the state had enmeshed in the leadership crisis following the emergence of two factional executives during parallel congresses held last week in Abeokuta.

The faction led by Owolabi which held its congress at the Party Secretariat in Adatan Abeokuta approached the court asking it to restrain the other faction and its supporters from interferring or parading themselves as leaders of the party in the state .

The plaintiffs in the suit number FHC/A3/CS/10/18 claimed that their executive was duly formed by the authentic delegates of the party across the 20 local governments of the state.

The plaintiff also said the other faction’s Chairman Arabambi allegedly connived with Hon Adebutu with the motive to destabilize , disrupt and cause chaosis in the party, hence, they rushed to the court for justice to prevail.

The plaintiff however begged the court to enforce the following order against the defendants that, “An order of perpetual injunction restraining all the defendants from dealing with any person whatsoever apart from the executive committee members led by be granted.

“A declaration that the Ogun State Labour Party Congress held on 22 day of January,2018 at the Labour Party Secretariat in Abeokuta was validly held in accordance with the Labour Party 2009 constitution.

“ An order of perpetual injuction restraining all the defendants from dealing with any person whosoever, apart from the executive committee members led by the plaintif as the Labour Party officers/ committee in Ogun State.

“ An order of injuction restraining the 8th,9th, 10th and 11th defendants from interfering , manipulative and hijacking the activities of the Labour Party in Ogun State as they are not card carrying members of the Labour Party.

“ An order of honourable court invalidating any other congress(es) held or to be held in Ogun State including the kangaroo congress held at the hotel cum residence of the 8th defendant is illegal, unconstitutional and an attempt to disrupt the Labour Party activities in Ogun State.

“ An order of honourable court restraining the defendant from opening a parallel state Secretariat or office of the first defendant in Ogun State for registration of members or any political activities outside the Labour Party Secretariat at FAJ House,Abeokuta-Ibadan expressway, Opposite NNPC filling station Car wash ,Adatan Abeokuta.

“An order of honourable court restraining the 5th – 11th defendants and their loyalists from parading themselves as Labour Party executive committee members in Ogun State.

“And for such further or other orders at this honourable court may deem it fit to make in the circumstances “ ,the write stated .