The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday has upheld the suspension of Omoyele Sowore as the National Chairman of the African Action Congress (APC), and Malcom Fabiyi as the Deputy National Chairman.
Sowore, the publisher of online news medium, Saharareporters, and the party’s presidential candidate for the February 23, 2019 election, was suspended along with Fabiyi and others for allegedly engaging in anti-party activities.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo, dismissed Sowore’s suit to upturn his suspension, and also affirmed the appointment of Dr. Leonard Nzewa as the Acting National Chairman of the party.
The judge granted all the prayers contained in the suit which was instituted by Nzewa seeking the validation of the decision of the party’s National Executive Committee to suspend Sowore and Fabiyi for six months at its meeting held on March 27, 2019.
But the judge, in dismissing Sowore and Fabiyi’s objection to the suit, held that they failed to personally depose to the counter-affidavit filed against the suit.
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According to the judge, the deposition made on their behalf by Dr. John Adeoye “goes to nought” as he was not a party to the suit.
“I find that the evidence of Dr. John Adeoye goes to nought.”
According to Adeoye, who deposed to the counter-affidavit, both Sowore and Fabiyi were unable to depose to the counter-affidavit personally because they were outside the country when the suit was filed.
But the judge ruled that the reasons given by the defendants showed that they did not take the case seriously.
“Anybody who does not take a suit instituted against him seriously must prepare to bear the brunt of his carelessness,” the judge ruled.
Reacting to our correspondent’s inquiry, Sowore said in a message on Friday, “We’ve commenced the process of appeal already. The judgment won’t stand.”
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