….insists No drama in Court, as Party disowns Edema’s case against Aiyedatiwa
The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has insisted that Barr. Adelanke Akinrata is the lawyer representing it at the Federal High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, in a suit challenging the qualifications of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for the last November 16, 2024 governorship election.
The party also said Akinrata never represented Aiyedatiwa in the suit, saying it mandated the lawyer to file an application to withdraw the NNPP name from the case instituted by the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Hon. Gbenga Edema.
It was earlier reported today that Two lawyers, Adelanke Akinrata and Abayomi Ojo, allegedly engaged in verbal fisticuffs before the Federal High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, over the legal representation of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the suit.
It was alleged in the media report that Akinrata, who was part of the lawyers that represented Aiyedatiwa in the suit filed by Hon Olugbenga Edema when the suit came for hearing on December 11, announced his appearance as Counsel to the NNPP, leading to a diatribe amongst lawyers in the court.
However Reacting to situation in the court today, Monday 3rd, February, 2025, the Ondo State Chairman of the NNPP, Pastor Peter Olagookun, described the report of a drama in court as untrue, noting that there was no controversy over the status of Akinrata as the NNPP lawyer on the case.
Pastor Olagookun, refuted reports that the party’s legal representative, Barr Adelanke Akinrata is also the counsel to Governor Aiyedatiwa.
The NNPP Chairman, who strongly berated the reports which also claimed that a mild drama played out in the court over the legal representation of the party, confirmed that the national leadership of the party had endorsed Akinrata as its counsel.
Pastor Olagookun, said, “What happened is that we saw it in the news that our Lawyer, Barr. Adelanke Akinrata is the lawyer of Governor Aiyedatiwa which is not so and that a drama ensued at the Court today. No drama ensued at the court today.
“Barr. Akinrata has been mandated from the headquarters to represent the party to withdraw the party’s name from Gbenga Edema suit which he filed against INEC, Aiyedatiwa and APC. We are aware of those sponsoring those news.
“There’s no drama that ensued today. Barr. Akinrata has been representing our party as far back as year 2023 when we were fighting over our former logo that was on ballot paper. Then also it is being written in that news that on December 11, 2024, Barr. Akinrata was one of the lawyers of the Defendant, Aiyedatiwa which is not so and not true, he is representing us in this case.
“On that December 11, 2024, Akinrata was represented the NNPP, he was the one that brought the letter from the party’s National Legal Adviser to the court, notifying the court of intention to withdraw from the suit.
He also clarified that “Barr. Ojo is not our lawyer, he does not have any authority to stand as a lawyer of our party.”
When the case came up for hearing on December 11, 2024, the NNPP as the second plaintiff, through its National Legal Adviser, Mr. Robert Hon, said the party did not authorize any suit against the candidature of Governor Aiyedatiwa and his Deputy, Dr Olaiyide Adelami. He asked the name of the party be withdrawn from the suit.
But Aiyedatiwa, Adelami, INEC, and APC, through their lawyers, Dr. Remi Olatubora SAN, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN, Chief Charles Edosomwan SAN, who represented INEC, asked the court to dismiss the suit for lack of jurisdiction and that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi to file the suit.
In the preliminary objections which came up for a hearing on Monday, Akinrata asked the court to strike out the name of NNPP, which is the second plaintiff from the suit. He attached the letter from the Legal Adviser of the party and the affidavit deposed by the state Chairman of the party to the motion.
Akinrata said he has the authority of the NNPP at the state and national levels to withdraw the name of the party from the suit. He said it was on this premise that he filed an application for withdrawal dated January 9.
Edosomwan said he had seen the motion of Akinrata and was in support of it. He said he could not doubt the authenticity of the letter from the NNPP to strike out its name from the suit.
Similarly, Olatubora expressed his sympathy for the counsel to the first plaintiff (Edema) because the withdrawal of the party from the suit would render the suit null and void, as there cannot be a candidate without a party. He said Nigeria law did not support independent candidacy.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke, fixed the ruling for next week on whether the NNPP can withdraw or not from the suit.
