….Aspirant sacks legal team, personally argues motion in court
…Ruling fixed for March 10, 2026
A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has fixed March 10, 2026, to deliver ruling on an application filed by an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and local government chairmanship aspirant, Gbenga Akinwande, seeking a review of the N6 million cost earlier awarded against him.
Akinwande, who contested for the Yewa North Local Government chairmanship seat during the 2024 council elections, also formally disengaged his lawyers and chose to personally move the motion before the court.
The suit, marked FHC/AB/CS/144/2024, is connected to a pre-election dispute involving the APC, the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), and Dr. Olusola Samuel Akinbode.
Akinwande, a United Kingdom-based engineer, is challenging the cumulative N6 million cost awarded in favour of the respondents by Justice Abiodun Adeyemi of Federal High Court 2, Abeokuta.
The cost was imposed following a ruling delivered on October 15, 2025, when the court dismissed an application by Akinwande seeking permission to transfer the case from the Federal High Court to the State High Court.
In delivering that earlier ruling, Justice Adeyemi held that awarding cost against the claimant was appropriate considering the facts of the case and the conduct of proceedings.
The court had ordered the claimant to pay N3 million to the 1st and 3rd respondents jointly and another N3 million to the 2nd respondent, OGSIEC.
Justice Adeyemi further directed that the costs must be paid before any further step could be taken in the matter, including an outstanding N50,000 cost earlier awarded.
However, dissatisfied with the ruling, Akinwande filed a motion on November 19, 2025, asking the court to vary and review the amount awarded.
When the matter came up for hearing, Akinwande announced appearance for himself and proceeded to move the motion personally before the court.
He supported the application with a 23-paragraph affidavit and also filed a written address, which he adopted as his legal argument.
In his application, Akinwande argued that the N6 million cost was excessive, punitive, and beyond his financial capability.
He told the court that he had engaged lawyers and paid professional fees, insisting that he should not be held responsible for how his counsel handled the case.
The applicant further submitted that granting his request would not prejudice the respondents in any way.
He therefore urged the court to consider ordering a reduced cost that would be convenient for him to pay.
Counsel representing the respondents opposed the application and urged the court to dismiss it.
Edwards Ayo-Odugbesan, lead counsel for the 1st and 3rd respondents, as well as G.O. Agboola, who held brief for Wale Abeeb Ajayi representing OGSIEC, argued that the law is clear that costs follow events.
They maintained that financial hardship or sympathy is not a legal basis to deny successful parties compensation for expenses incurred during litigation.
According to the respondents, granting the application would amount to setting a wrong legal precedent.
They therefore asked the court to uphold the earlier ruling and dismiss the application in its entirety.
After listening to the submissions and counter-arguments, Justice Adeyemi adjourned the matter till March 10, 2026, for ruling.
The outcome of the ruling is expected to determine the next legal step in the lingering pre-election dispute linked to the Ogun State local government elections.
