A possible ending to the protracted power tussle at the national leadership of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) seemed farther on Wednesday as Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja scheduled to hear the case was not present in court.

Alhaji Farouq Mudi in March had emerged the new national president of AFAN following the creation of a 13-member Care-Taker Committee or National Working Committee (NWC) in an emergency meeting in Abuja.

Ousted national president, Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, whose tenure is said to have expired in June 2018, had kicked against the move, describing the dissolution of the former NWC as unconstitutional and Mudi’s election unprocedural.

Mudi in May had filed a lawsuit against Ibrahim and his NWC over alleged refusal to hand over the association’s assets and properties.

The new president in an originating summon dated March 5, 2020, had urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to, among others, restrain Ibrahim from causing any harm.

While the Ibrahim-led NWC were charged as the first defendants in the case, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was listed as the second.

Mudi’s counsel, Modibbo Bakari, among others, had asked the court for “a declaration of this honourable court that by the combined effect of Article 13.1 of the Constitution of the AFAN and Section 593 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1 Cap. C20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, the 1st defendants who were inaugurated in June 2013 had served their single term of 5 years which tenure expired in June 2018.”

However, at the scheduled resumed hearing, Justice Taiwo was absent to hear the suit which was number 12 of the list of 13 cases scheduled for that day.

The court registrar informed the court that the judge had proceeded on leave and the hearing has been shifted to December 15.

Meanwhile, the News Agency of Nigeria had reported that the Federal High Court annual vacation which began on July 27 ended on September 25.

SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA