Chief Bode Mustapha

By Sheriff Balogun

An Ogun State High Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, Thursday struck out the  application exparte filed by the sacked  National Auditor of the People's Democratic Party( PDP), Chief Bode Mustapha, for 'lack of diligent prosecution'.

Mustapha had on Monday approached the court with the application exparte, seeking the court’s order to stop the PDP from removing him from office.

The presiding judge, Justice Abiodun Akinyemi, struck out the motion exparte following the failure of the claimant to appear in court to argue the motion.

The judge in his ruling said the application exparte deemed to be struck out due to the failure of the applicant and his counsel to appear in court without reason or notification.

Akinyemi however adjourned the motion on notice till March 28 where the two parties would argue on the suit regarding the propriety or otherwise of Mustapha removal.

It would be recalled that the National Working Committee, NWC, had last week announced the removal of Mustapha as National Auditor while former South West Chairman, Segun Oni and Dipo Odunjinrin-led State executive committee  believed to be loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo  were also sacked, and subsequently replaced them.

At the hearing Thursday, counsel to the  erstwhile National Auditor of PDP, Gboyega Oyewole, did not show up when the matter was mentioned  nor did he send any representation.

PDP counsel, Mrs. Ifeoma Esom, prayed the court to dismiss  Mustapha’s application.

She said the action of the claimant and his counsel was an indication that they had no interest in the case again.

According to the PDP counsel, the absence of the claimant and his counsel at the court today shows that they are no longer interested in the matter again.

"I urge this honourable court  to strike out the application exparte  for lack of diligent prosecution," she said.

In his reaction to the striking out of his application, the sacked National Auditor said there was no loss.

He said "my lawyer was held up in a traffic which made him arrive the court late and when the case was called he could not argue the motion, so it had to be struck out”.