ABDULGAFAR OLADIMEJI – Kano
A consortium of lawyers has commenced legal process against the All Progress Congress APC Kano state chapter to press for the payment of their appearances at the 2019 election petition tribunal cases.
The creditor lawyers through their counsel, Usman Umar far Esq in a missive address to the state APC chairman demanded prompt payment of their professional fees for the services connected to the 2019 general elections.
The demand letter was written to APC, the debtor (obligor) with the theme “DEMAND FOR PAYMENT OF PROFESSIONAL FEES .” (Amount withheld) stated that the unpaid fees are for professional services in the electoral cases involving the party.
Fari cautioned that failure to upset the professional fees owed to the lawyers by the party will prompt the creditor legal practitioners (name withheld) to resort to further legal measures to claim their entitlements.
The demand letter sent to the party outline the legal services offered to include “The first case is an appeal before the Court of Appeal emanating from the decision of the Kano State High Court delivered in our favour striking out the plaintiff’s case for been statute-barred.
“We have been paid part of our fees for the High Court and we have forfeited the balance.
“The plaintiff however appealed to the Court of Appeal which also delivered judgment in our favour affirming the judgment of the High Court. We have earlier written a report to your good office on this case and demanded for our professional fees
“The second case is a further appeal by the plaintiff to the Supreme Court which was also struck out and in our favour thereby affirming the decisions of the two lower courts.
“The third case was filed before the Federal High Court, Kano and the fourth case is the appeal emanating there from which we all provided legal services but our fees has not been paid.
“As for the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th cases, the Honourable Chairman may recall that several Election Petitions were filed against the ruling party (APC) and candidates who contested and won under the platform of the party, in the 2019 general election – for the State House of Assembly. Consequently, counsel were engaged to represent the party (APC).
Our correspondent gathered that four demand notices have been written to the party, an impeccable source informed our correspondent that the lawyers that defended the state governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at the 2019 Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal have been paid, especially those amongst them that were contracted from outside the state.