Koleoso Is AD Chairman - Court

Lanre Adewole, Abuja - 17.05.2008

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday confirmed Chief Michael Koleosho as the lawful National Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was also ordered by the court to recognise him as such. The presiding judge, Justice Anwuri Chikere, while delivering judgement in a suit seeking clarification on the authentic leader of the party, equally directed the electoral commission to withdraw the recognition being accorded the factional leader, Chief Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa.

According to the judge, the former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Chairman, Abel Guobadia, recognised Koleosho as the National Chairman as an institution and not as an individual, which robbed the current chairman of the commission, Professor Maurice Iwu, the power to withdraw the recognition.

The party had been bedeviled with leadership crisis since 2003. Akinfenwa was recognised by INEC as the party boss after Chief Bisi Akande, an erstwhile factional leader, resigned to become the National Chairman of the Action Congress (AC).

Apart from Akinfenwa and Akande, Alh. Abdulkarim Daiyabu also claimed to be an Interim National Chairman. Daiyabu had sought to be joined in the suit which was resolved in Koleosho’s favour yesterday.

His joinder application was struck out by the judge in yesterday’s judgement, which was described as lacking in merit. Koleosho claimed he was duly elected by the party at a convention presided by the authentic former chairman, Chief Akande, sometime in 2006.

The plaintiffs, AD, Chief Koleosho and Senator Yohanna through their lawyer, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), had prayed the court to determine whether or not AD was a single political party recognised by the defendant, INEC.