Absence of counsel stalls continued hearing of Kwara SDP factional matter

The absence of defence counsel on Tuesday stalled proceedings in the Kwara state chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) leadership matter in the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that factions of the party in the state had initiated moves to amicably resolve their internal crisis out of court.

However, the settlement report was stalled on Tuesday in the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, based on the absence of the counsel to some of the defendants.

Former acting chairman of SDP (original) Ibrahim M. Yahaya (plaintiff) had approached the court to challenge the exclusion of his executive members from participating in an election that produced the Abdulazeez Afolabi-led new exco on April 26, 2022, in Ilorin.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Dr. Solomon Afolabi, told the court on Tuesday that the new members who were from the All Progressives Congress (APC loyal) planned to hijack it from the pioneer executive of the party.

Dr. Afolabi added that the “APC loyal formally applied to join SDP vide a letter to SDP national secretariat dated 9th March, 2022 by a reply letter dated March 11, 2022.

“The national secretariat of SDP acknowledged the APC loyal letter and their intention to join the SDP in Kwara State with a promise to work on a harmonization arrangement on how their interests will be accommodated.

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“While the original SDP members in Kwara state under the leadership of Mr. Yahaya were waiting for further directives from national secretariat, we were shocked to hear about a purported state congress of the party that took place on April 26, 2022 which was stage-managed by the Kwara APC (loyal) group in collaboration with some officials of SDP national secretariat.

“The sole aim of the kangaroo state congress election of SDP on April 26, 2022 was to hijack the party (SDP) from the original members of the party who had worked tirelessly to bring the party to its enviable position in Kwara State.

“The said congress was held in contravention to the SDP constitution. Also the original members of Kwara SDP were denied participation in the said congress contrary to relevant provision of the Electoral Act
2022.”

At the resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, Dr. Afolabi told the court that counsel to some of the defendants, after announcing his appearance, informed the court that 4th to 5th defendants counsel was not in court. He then asked for an adjournment.

Dr. Afolabi said that “on our part we are not opposed to the application for adjournment. Talks on out-of-court settlement arrangements between the parties are ongoing.

“The process of setting the case out-of-court was in progress. By the next adjourned date, hopefully we would have come up with terms of settlement or we go on with the hearing of the matter.”

Presiding Judge Isaq Mohammed Sani then adjourned the case to November 30, 2022 to know the latest on out-of-court settlement.