The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has filed a lawsuit against former Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the Federal High Court in Osogbo, accusing him of establishing a faction within the party.
In an affidavit supporting the Originating Summons filed by the party’s legal representative, Ayodele Kusamotu, Waheed Adeniran, an assistant secretary of the Osun APC, has appealed to the court to categorize Rauf Aregbesola’s establishment of a group named Omoluabi Caucus as an act of anti-party.
The suit, identified as FHC/OS/CS/1/2024, also lists the Independent National Electoral Commission as a defendant. Additionally, former House of Representatives member Rasheed Afolabi and Mr. Lani Baderinwa, who previously served in Aregbesola’s cabinet as the Commissioner for Information, are included as defendants.
The Osun APC wants the court to make “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st defendant from attending or recognising or accepting any congress or convention held or to be held by the 2nd -4th defendants and any other persons associating with them in their factional and parallel political group or association for the purpose of inaugurating or constituting the Executive Council or Committee of the plaintiff at any level or nominating candidates for any elective positions under the provisions of the Constitution the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) in the name or on the platform of the plaintiff.”
The plaintiff is also seeking “an order prohibiting the illegal factional and parallel association of the 2nd-4th defendants launched as Omoluabi Progressives (APC) in similar or same name of the plaintiff impersonating the plaintiff’s registered logo, symbol and slogan to function as a political group.
“General damages of N5m jointly or severally against the 2nd-4th defendants in favour of the plaintiff.”
When contacted for a reaction, Mr Lowo Adebiyi, who is the the leader of the Omoluabi Caucus backed by Aregbesola, said, “We have not been served and when they serve us, we will react accordingly.”
The Osun APC experienced renewed turmoil in August of the previous year, when Aregbesola introduced the Omoluabi Caucus of the Osun APC in Ilesa.
The caucus comprised members from each of the 332 wards in the state, with five representatives from each local government at its launch.
During the caucus launch, Aregbesola asserted that it was not a faction but rather a gathering of the party’s founding members. However, in response to this development, the Osun APC leadership, represented by its chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, cautioned party members against affiliating with Aregbesola’s Omoluabi Caucus.
“What informed the formation of a group by Aregbesola now when there is no election around the corner?” APC queried.
“It is disheartening and disgusting that Aregbesola could stoop so low to have relegated himself to a sectional APC leader in Ilesa,” the statement partly read.