Federal High Court gives restraining order to PDP days before national convention
- A federal high court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has given its ruling on the status of the Yobe state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
- Two factions in the state chapter of the party have been at loggerheads for a while
- The verdict was delivered by Justice Binta Murtala Nyako
A Federal High Court in Abuja, has ordered the national headquarters of the PDP, to recognize only the Yobe state executive of the party led by Alhaji Gana Lawan, for the purpose of its national convention holding on Saturday, December 9 and other key activities of the party.
Ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by Lawan and 26 other members of the party against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP and seven others, Justice Binta Murtala Nyako, granted the seven prayers sought by the plaintiffs and restrained the INEC, PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP from “recognizing any other person or group of persons as the authentic leadership or Executive Committee of the PDP in Yobe state.”
It is not yet known if the Makarfi-led national caretaker committee will challenge the judge's verdict in court
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The judge held that, only party leadership structure duly elected and headed by the plaintiffs as the authentic officers of the Yobe state executive committee of the PDP should be recognized, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The court also restrained Alhaji Sani Inuwa Nguru from continuing to parade himself as the chairman of the Yobe state executive committee of the PDP pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Furthermore, Justice Nyako also restrained the PDP and its National Caretaker Committee from taking any steps to dissolve or otherwise replace the Gana Lawan faction as the authentic officers of the Yobe state executive committee of the PDP except by elections due to be conducted in May 2020 pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Justice Nyako directed that the PDP be restrained from conducting any primary election in Yobe state except through the instrumentality of the plaintiffs in the organisation and conduct of the electoral college for the election of party candidates for general and other elections to public offices pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
INEC is also restrained from recognizing and accepting the results of and processing any list of candidates based on any primary election of the PDP in Yobe state conducted by the said National Executive Committee, National Caretaker Committee or other national leadership of the PDP.
The plaintiffs were also granted leave to serve the originating summons as well as all other accompanying processes in this suit on Nguru and INEC and outside the jurisdiction of the court and that they have the leave of the court to dispense with personal service and employ substituted means.
The case was however adjourned till Friday, December 15 for further hearing.
Meanwhile, PDP leaders from the north have advised delegates from the region to only vote aspirants from the south-west region for the chairmanship position in the upcoming national convention of the party scheduled for Saturday, December 9.
This was the position of the Northern Elders and Leaders Forum after a marathon meeting in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Thursday, November 30.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting and seen by NAIJ.com, the forum which was well attended by notable elders and leaders of the party from all the states of the northern region, noted that capable and competent aspirants from the southwest should be identified and supported for the chairmanship position.
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PDP Chieftain, Chief Chyna Iwuanyanwu speaks about the party's crisis on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng