From: Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Ousted Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayelsa State chapter, Chief Tiwe Oruminighe, has filed suit before the State High Court, in Ogbia, challenging his suspension and expulsion.
Orunmighe, in the suit he filed alongside former deputy Chairman, Eddy Julius, and former Secretary, Marlin Daniel, as claimants, is asking the court to give a judicial interpretation to the section of the APC’s Constitution, which the party relied upon to sack them.
In the Originating Summons which has been served the party, those joined in the suit were the state’s acting party Chairman, Mr. Joseph Fafi, the acting Secretary, Mr. Alabo Martins, the National Vice-Chairman of the party, South-South, Mr. Hilliard Eta and members of the South-South Zonal Executive Committee.
Others joined in the suit are the National Secretary of the party, Mr Mai Mala Buni and members of the National Working Committee of the APC.
The claimants are asking the court to make a declaration that by virtue of the party’s constitution, Mai Buni (second respondent) had no powers to exercise disciplinary actions against them.
They are demanding a further declaration that the disciplinary powers of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) could not be delegated to Buni or any other organ of the party.
The claimant’s asked the court to make an order setting aside their punishment and to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the respondents for interfering in their functions.
Other reliefs sought by the claimants are: “An order setting aside the purported expulsion of the first claimant (Oruminighe) by the second respondent as being unlawful, illegal, and null and void by virtue of the provisions of APC’s Constitution, 2014.
“An order setting aside the appointment of the first respondent (Fafi) as acting chairman, acting deputy chairman and acting secretary of APC, Bayelsa State chapter.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from interfering with, or abridging the duties, functions, privileges and rights of the claimants during the subsistence of their tenure as state chairman, state deputy chairman and state secretary respectively of APC, Bayelsa chapter”.