Court adjourns pro-Wike PDP EXCOs’ suit against NWC

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday adjourned a suit filed by the Rivers Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, against the Umar Damagun-led national leadership of the party until Jan. 13, 2025, for hearing.

Justice Peter Lifu fixed the date following an application for adjournment moved by the respondents’ lawyers to enable them regularise and file their processes in the suit.

The plaintiffs, Aaron Chukwuemeka, Oye Fubara Igenewari and ThankGod Bekee, who sued on behalf of themselves and the state, local government and ward executive committees (EXCOs) respectfully, had filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1396/2024.

They had sued the PDP; Damagun, acting national chairman; Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s secretary; Umar Bature; National Working Committee (NWC); National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BOT) as 1st to 7th respondents.

Others are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Alhaji Bala Mohammed, chairman of PDP Governors Forum, as 8th to 9th respondents, respectively.

The plaintiffs had approached the court to stop the respondents from dissolving the Rivers State Executive Committee (SEC) and others at the local government and ward levels.

Justice Lifu had, on Sept. 24, made an interim order restraining the national leadership of the party from dissolving the state’s executive committees after an ex-parte motion moved by Joshua Musa, SAN, on behalf of the plaintiffs.

The judge equally stopped them from constituting any interim committee to replace the officers of the party at the state, local government and ward levels who are loyal to the FCT minister and former governor of Rivers.

Justice Lifu also ordered the PDP national body and other listed as defendants not to tamper with the local government and ward leadership of the party in Rivers, elected along with the SEC this year at various congresses of the party.

He ordered that on no ground should the tenure of the executive committees at the state, local governments and the wards be truncated by the defendants pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

In the motion argued by Musa, the plaintiffs had alleged that the defendants were making clandestine moves to dissolve the legally constituted state, local government and ward executives committees of the party in the state.

They also alleged that the defendants, including the PDP governors, were also attempting to put in place interim committees to replace them to perform their duties and functions.

The plaintiffs asserted that unless the defendants were restrained from carrying out the alleged unlawful act, they would be made to suffer injustice and losses.

Upon resumed hearing on Tuesday, Musa, who appeared for the plaintiffs, moved a motion to regularise their processes in response to the defendants’ applications served on them and the judge granted it after it was not opposed by the defence lawyers.

Ahmed Mohammed, who represented the 8th defendant (INEC), also moved a motion to regularise his processes and was granted by the court.

However, Sunday Ameh, SAN, informed the court that he was just being briefed about the case and had just filed a memorandum of conditional appearance in the matter.on behalf of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants.

Ameh, therefore, sought an adjournment to enable him file all their processes in the matter.

Also, Emmanuel Enoidem, SAN, who appeared for the 9th respondent, (PDP Governors Forum), sought an adjournment to enable him put his house in order.

The application for adjournment was not opposed by the plaintiffs and other lawyers in the suit.

Justice Life adjourned the matter until Jan. 13, 2025, for further hearing.