By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
An aggrieved chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and aspirant for the Local Government seat of Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State in the 2024 Council elections, Gbenga Akinwande, has dropped the lawyers handling his case pertaining to the pre – election matter before a Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the state capital.
In the suit marked FHC/AB/CS/144/2024, Akinwande, a United Kingdom – based engineer, has also personally filed an application praying the court to vary and review the N6,000,000 costs it awarded against him in favour of the respondents.
The motion seeking to vary the costs was filed on November 19, 2025. The respondents in the suit are (1) All Progressives Congress (APC), (2) Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) and (3) Dr. Olusola Samuel Akinbode, who is the elected chairman of Yewa North Local Government Area.
The Daily Crucible reports that Justice Abiodun Adeyemi of the Federal High Court(FHC) 2, Abeokuta had in his ruling on October 15,2025 on the application filed by Akinwande where he sought the permission of the Court to transfer the suit from the FHC to the State High Court, awarded a cumulative N6million costs against him in favour of the respondents.
In awarding the costs against the applicant, Justice Adeyemi held: “I am of the unshaken view that it is not only just to award costs against the claimant, but it is most appropriate considering the facts of the case.
“The applicant that filed this case and asked for transfer are not in Court today(October 15, 2025). I hereby award the cost of N3million against the claimant in favour of the 1st and 3rd respondents, and the cost of N3million against the claimant in favour of the 2nd respondent.
“This cost must be paid before any further step is taken in this case. The cost of N50,000 yet to be paid, must also be paid before any further step is taken.”
When the matter was mentioned for hearing of the motion on February 4, 2026, , the applicant (Gbenga Akinwande) announced appearance for himself, moved his motion, supported it with 23 paragraphs affidavit, also filed a written address, adopted it as a legal argument in support of the motion and urged the Court to grant it as prayed.
In requesting for a review of the N6,000,000 costs, the applicant claimed among other things that the amount ordered by the court was extremely heavy, punitive and far above his financial capability.
The applicant claimed that he engaged lawyers for their professional service and paid their fees, urging the court not to hold him for whatever the counsel did or failed to do in the manner of handling the pre – election case.
The applicant also argued that the respondents would not be prejudiced if the application is granted, and appealed to the court to order costs that will be convenient for him to bear.
Countering, representative of Edwards Ayo – Odugbesan, lead counsel of the 1st and 3rd respondents and counsel G.O. Agboola, who held brief for Wale Abeeb Ajayi, on behalf of the 2nd respondent (OGSIEC), all opposed the application.
The respondents argued that the settled position of the law is that costs follow event and submitted that sympathy or financial hardship is not a legal basis for denying a successful party compensation for expenses legitimately incurred.
The respondents, therefore, urged the Court to dismiss the application.
Justice Abiodun Adeyemi after listening to the arguments and counter arguments of the applicant and respondents as well as their written addresses, adjourned till March 10, 2026 for ruling.
