The bid of the former chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Adebowale Olajire Oshundun, to annul the recently held election of the chapter met a waterloo as the Industrial Arbitration Court sitting in Lagos denied the application from seeing the light of the day.
At the last court sitting recently, it was gathered that the team of lawyers engaged by Oshundun who included Counsel A. O Agboola (SAN) and Agbaje Esq had filed a Motion on Notice before his Lordship, Honourable Justice Esowe of Court no 2, NICN, Lagos Division that the court should restrain the respondents (erstwhile Caretaker Executive Committee of Lagos SWAN and SWAN National Executive) from conducting election into Lagos SWAN EXCO pursuant to setting up of SWANECO and annulling decisions of SWAN congress held setting up SWANECO amongst others. Oshundun was also praying to the court to annul the election conducted by the Taiwo Adelu-led Lagos SWANECO.
It was also gathered that Oshundun’s lawyers’ interlocutory affidavits’ was responded to by the SWAN lawyer, Ajibola Akinwale with a counter affidavit and strong evidential documents, which the court relied heavily upon to reject and strike out the application against Lagos SWAN during arguments.
There was a drama in the court during the hearing when the Lagos SWAN’s lawyer told the court that the Hon. Justice Osowe should demand Oshundun’s SWAN membership card to prove whether he actually belongs to an association known as SWAN. This he could not produce because he is no longer a SWAN bonafide member.
Meanwhile, Justice Esowe had fixed 7 December 2022 to deliver judgement on the Notice of Preliminary Objection argued by Lagos SWAN’s lawyer praying the court to dismiss the entire suit for lack of jurisdiction.
