ALGON Leadership Tussle: Ex-National President Hon Alabi, Incorporated Trustees, Floor Plantiffs in Court
…As New ALGON President Hon Maifata Calls for Unity
In the Suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/1609/2023 with Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) featuring Hon. Alabi Kolade David and 7 Others, 2 Others
versus Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi and Hon. Shaban Ohinoyi Shuaibu who had in November 2023 challenged the capacity of Hon. Kolade Alabi David to hold office as the President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria came up for final judgement on Friday before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja.
The legal luminary exhibited professionalism in the course of delivery of his emotion laden judgement citing several cases and proven references on why the judgement sufficed.
In the same well-consideread Judgment dated 19th April 2024, Hon. Justice Ekwo while upholding the argument ALGON and its estwhile National President, Hon. Kolade David Alabi’s legal team in its notice of Preliminary objection, dismissed the plaintiffs’ suit.
The grounds on which the suit was thrown out were:
First, the court held that, the Plaintiffs lack the Locus Standi to commence the suit as Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi and Hon. Shaba Ohinoyi Shaibu were not Trustees of the Association.
The Court in its wisdom also held that only the incorporated Trustees can authorize the commencement of a suit on its behalf, or the Executive members of the Association led by its President.
Secondly, the Court agreed with the argument of ALGON and Hon. Alabi’s legal team that the plaintiffs’ action of commencing multiple suits seeking the same reliefs constitutes an abuse of Court process.
Thirdly, the Court held that the subject matter of the suit which borders on leadership of ALGON is a matter that can only be determined by majority members of the Association and not any outsider like the plaintiffs or any authority, not even the Court.
It further held that any aggrieved member of the association has a remedy of voluntarily exiting the association.
In whole, the suit was dismissed in its entirety with a cost of N 100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) awarded against Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi and Hon. Shaban Ohinoyi and to be paid within 30 days.
Reacting to the Judgement, the new ALGON National President, Hon Aminu Mu’azu Maifata while calling for unity in the association, thanked the learned silk and presiding Judge as well as the entire membership of the Judicial for their painstaking jurisprudence which according to him is in the best interest of all Nigerian who are the rightful owners of ALGON.
He said that to err is human and forgiveness is divine, hence he used the opportunity to extend olive branch to the plantiffs despite the distractions and visible consequences it has caused to the association.
On hand were the Chairman Board of Trustees of ALGON Chief Hon Odunayo Ategbero, the BOT Secretary Hon Bayo Ishola former Deputy National President Hon Shehu Jega with hand full of top-notch lawyers including Barr. Donald, Ayibowu, Barr Tunde Onamusi.
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