There seems to be palpable tension amongst Members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kwara as the State Ministry of Justice, Kwara Attorney General allegedly set to take over the prosecution of a Direct Criminal Complaint case reportedly involving an appointee of the governor in Irepodun Local Government Area, THE ELITES WATCH gathered.
It was learnt that an ongoing case of alleged unlawful trespasses and vandalism of the All Progressives Congress Secretariat in Irepodun Local Government Area was filed by the Party Chairman, Hon. Yemi Aransiola & 1 Other (Claimants), at the Upper Area Court in Omu-Aran with Suit Number: UACO/CRF19/21, joined as parties to the case were Mr Jide Oyinloye & Saibu Olanrewaju (Defendants).
The facility was said to be situated at Lantinwo Market Area, Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Recall that the lingering crisis within the ruling APC in Kwara has reportedly grown to a crescendo pitching the warring factions against one another across the sixteen (16) local government areas of the state.
The crisis, however, has taken a new turn in Irepodun Local Government Area of the state, where the Honorable Minister of Information and Culture hailed from.
While the loyalists of the Honorable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, were headed by the Irepodun Local Government APC Chairman, Hon. Yemi Aransiola Ojopagogo, the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s faction was said to be led by the governor’s appointee and the Transition Implementation Committee Chairman in Irepodun Local Government Area Council, Mr Jide Oyinloye, An informed source told this medium.
According to a top source who confided in this medium, It alluded to the alleged trespasses and vandalism of the party’s local government secretariat by the Council TIC Chairman, as reckless and unfortunate.
The source further revealed that on 20th June 2021, and 9th September 2021 respectively, some suspected thugs allegedly led by the TIC Chairman (defendant) forcefully broke into the Irepodun APC Party Secretariat located at Lantinwo Market Area, Omu-Aran, in an attempt to take over the party secretariat and cause unrest on the said facility.
During the two attempts, the defendants were said to have destroyed the padlock and the paints of the facility.
The incident, meanwhile, met stiff resistance from some members of the party in the local government leading them to seek redress in court.
“Let me tell you that we are unaware of several plots by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his cohorts to use the state apparatus to deny us justice. As you may be aware that sometime in June & September this year, the Irepodun TIC Chairman appointed by Mr Governor, dreadfully led his thugs to the venue of our weekly meeting point in Omu-Aran. He had done that to cause unrest within our folds. Although, he had been reported to have carried out such unrest on the said facility before on several occasions our supporters are always there to resist him.
“As law-abiding citizens, We decided to fight our course within the ambit of the law. We presented our case before the Honorable Judge at the Upper Area Court in Omu-Aran in a bid to put a stop to such occurrences in the future. But to our dismay, the Kwara State Government has set in motion its apparatus to tamper with the judicial process at all costs.
“It should be known to the public that the antics of the Kwara State Government are very much in play. They had earlier pushed our father figure and well-respected Traditional ruler in the local government to push for an out-of-court settlement, but when we voted among ourselves, the majority voted against the out-of-court settlement.
“The LAW is a respecter of everybody. Hence, you can not be a judge in your case, no matter how highly placed.
“We, therefore, urge the Honorable Judge to not be cowed or arm twisted by these set of power mongers who are hellbent on subverting the interest of the public which the judiciary stands for as we pray the court to jettison their request to take over the case and allow Justice take its full course on the case before it.
“We, the Authentic Party Members of the APC in Irepodun Local Government are saying emphatically that we shall resist to the latter all attempts by the governor through the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of the state or any other means to truncate all righteousness awaited by our teeming party supporters on this case,” a top APC Member who spoke with our correspondent said.
Meanwhile, The facility, according to a top APC Member, was a rented apartment secured by the Honorable Minister of information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed for over 15 years, to prosecute the activities and programs of party politics in the local government during and after the elections in the state.
The source further noted that the local council chairman does not have any authority whatsoever over the ownership of the party secretariat.
In a court paper exclusively obtained by this medium, it revealed that a letter addressed to the Honorable Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, by the counsel to the defendants, Buhari Oguntoye Associates requesting the state attorney general to take over prosecution of the alleged criminal case “in the public interest and the interest of justice”.
“We’re counsel to the defendants in the above criminal case pending at the Upper Area Court, Omu-Aran. The 1st defendant is the Local Government Council Chairman of Irepodun Local Government.
“We hereby request that the prosecution of the case be taken over by the HON. ATTORNEY GENERAL in the public interest and the interest of justice,” a letter signed by E. AHMED, ESQ., for Buhari Oguntoye Associates, reads.
Similarly, a copy of the letter obtained by this medium, addressed to the Honorable Judge of the Upper Area Court in Omu-Aran, by the Kwara Commissioner of Justice on October 20, 2021, requesting a takeover of the prosecution of the alleged criminal case.
It partly reads: “The Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Kwara State received a letter from the office of Buhari, Oguntoye Associates dated 7th October 2021, requesting for the taking over of the above-mentioned Direct Criminal Complaint pending before your honour. A copy of the said letter is attached herewith for your perusal.
“Premised on the above, it is the instruction of the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Kwara State, that this office takes over the prosecution of the case, pursuant to the provision of Section 211 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended. Accept the highest assurances of this office, ”a letter addressed to the Honorable Judge signed by the Chief State Counsel S.K. SHITTU, Esq. for Honorable Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Ministry of Justice, reads.
However, the court has fixed Wednesday, November 22nd, 2021, for the continuous hearing of the case filed by the warring party men.
Ahead of the next sitting, if the alleged move by the Kwara State Government to take over the case is granted successfully by the court, allayed fears in the minds of some members of the party in the local government predict a showdown between the two warring factions as the decision of the court will determine which side of the divide gets justice as may be delivered by the presiding judge.
