By Jane B. Mansaray.
Lawyers representing the All People’s Congress Party (APC), the party Chairman and Leader, former President Ernest Bai Koroma and Secretary General Osman Foday Yansaneh have objected to Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden’s affidavit of joining Alfred Peter Conteh in his earlier petition matter before Justice Adrian Fisher with regards to the illegality of the executive.
In their separate objections and submissions yesterday made at High Court No.1 on main Law Court Building at Siaka Stevens Street in Freetown, the defendant counsels applied for Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden’s affidavit sworn to and dated 13th October 2021 to be struck out with a cost on the grounds of irregularities and lack of following applicable rules and appropriate forms.
In his submissions on behalf of the first defendant, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, Lawyer Ibrahim Issa Mansaray described Dr. Blyden’s affidavit as scandalous, irrelevant and full of irregularities.
The affidavit of Dr. Blyden was also described by defendant counsels as an abuse of process and the issues raised are fresh and irrelevant to the substantive matter before the court.
Counsels Ady Macauley and Africanus Sorie Sesay on behalf of the second and third defendants said there is no reason for Dr. Sylvia Blyden to be a party to plaintiff Alfred Peter Conteh’s petition matter which is at an advanced stage and if allowed to move her application will delay the substantive matter before the Court.
Lawyer Jessie Munda Jengo, counsel representing the plaintiff, Alfred Peter Conteh opposed Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden on the grounds that he was never consulted on the matter.
Dr. Sylvia Blyden is before Justice Adrian Fisher on an application praying for the Court to declare the entire process in the September 2021 APC endorsed convention at Makeni null and void and of no effect; and on the grounds that previous orders by the court were flouted.
In her reply to defense counsels’ objections and submissions, Dr Sylvia Blyden said her application is not scandalous because the defense did not put her in the witness box to cross examine her on her affidavit. She noted that the court was misled in the originating process as to the legitimacy of delegates.
She questioned the eligibility of what she described as purported elected Delegates and the party Electoral list of voters.
According to Dr. Blyden, most of the Delegates elected are representatives of the first defendant, former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma. This she said is an abuse by both the first and second defendants of the political rights of APC members.
She made references to Paragraph 48 of Justice Fisher’s April and May 2021 ruling respectively.
Dr. Sylvia O. Blyden canvassed the Judge to allow her enjoy the same discretion given to Lawyer J.M. Jengo.
She submitted that all the preliminary objections raised by defense counsels failed, and therefore, called on the Judge to overrule them and allow her to move her application.
The matter has been adjourned to the 5th November, 2021 for ruling.
