Atiku may not contest 2023 Elections as Lawyer Seeks winding-up of PDP for Inability to pay N260M Legal fees

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A leading Presidential Candidate and the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may not partake in the 2023 elections NigerianEcho has learnt. A Law Professor has approached the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja seeking an order of Court to wind-up the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on ground of inability of the opposition political party to pay professional fees totaling 260 Million Naira.

The Claimants/Applicants in Suit No. FCT/959/2020, Prof. Yemi Oke and his Law firm, MJS Partners, are also seeking an order of Court directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-register or de-list the defaulting party on grounds of inability to pay its debt. In the Motion on Notice dated August 25, 2022 filed by the applicants, the University don and his law firm are seeking the following reliefs:

1. AN ORDER of this Honourable Court winding up the 1st Respondent in this suit.
2. AN ORDER of this Honourable Court directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the 1st Respondent. In the Alternative:
3. AN ORDER of this Honourable Court entering judgement in favour of the Applicants in the sum of N260, 000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Sixty Million Naira Only) being professional fees for the matters handled for the 1st Respondent.

The grounds on which the Applicants brought the application are that:

1. The Applicants herein filed Writ of Summons in this suit against the 1st Respondent dated 27th January, 2020 with Suit No. FCT/959/2020.
2. The 1st Respondent engaged the legal services of the 1st Applicant to act as counsel in several suits numbering about 17.
3. The 1st Respondent has been unable to pay the Applicants’ professional fees for the services rendered till date.
4. The Applicants had issued several letters of demand to the 1st Respondent including updates of the matters being handled by the Applicants but the 1st Respondent failed to respond to the Applicants’ demand.
5. The 1st Respondent is indebted to the Applicants to the tune of N260, 000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Sixty Million Naira Only) being professional fees for the matters handled for the 1st Respondent.
6. The 1st Respondent has failed and neglected to pay the sum or any part thereof.
7. The 1st Respondent is insolvent and incapable of paying its debts.

Although no date has been fixed for the hearing of the Motion to Wind-up PDP, official copies of processes filed in the Suit have gone viral, including the Writ of Summons, Statement of Claim, Motion for Judgement (M/9137/2020) dated 14th August 2020, official copies of letters of instructions issued to the Applicants by PDP, as well as letters of demand for professional fees.