The
Ali Modu Sheriff-faction of the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic
Party is to appear before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday (today) to
argue its application for an interlocutory injunction seeking to stop the party
from going ahead with its planned national convention scheduled to hold on
August 17.
The
nine plaintiffs said they filed the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/464/2016 for
themselves and on behalf of the Executive Committee/National Working Committee
of the PDP.
They
are Sheriff as the National Chairman; Prof. Wale Oladapo (National
Secretary); Dennis Alonge-Niyi (Deputy National Youth Leader); Alhaji Bashir
Maidugu (Deputy National Legal Advier); Mrs. Hanatu Ulam (Deputy National Women
Leader); Alhaji Lawa Dutsima Anchi (Deputy National Auditor); Chief Okey
Nnadozie (Deputy National Organising Secretary); and Chief Olia Metuh (National
Publicity Secretary).
The
suit has only the Independent National Electoral Commission and the PDP as the
defendants.
The
plaintiffs had filed the substantive suit on July 4, 2016, contending that that
by virtue of the PDP’s Constitution, they must remain in office till 2018.
They
urged the court to declare all moves aimed at removing, replacing or conducting
fresh elections into their offices as illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, null
and void.
The
Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the party had on July 14 announced
August 17 as the date for the party’s national convention when election would
be held to fill the positions of national officers of the PDP.
The
Sherriff faction therefore on July 20 filed an interlocutory application asking
the court to stop the party from going ahead with the planned national
convention pending the determination of their substantive suit.
The
court presided over by Justice Okon Abang on Tuesday granted the plaintiffs
order to have their case heard during the Federal High Court’s ongoing
vacation.
The
judge in granting the plaintiff’s ex parte motion on Tuesday, held that
ordinarily, a part-heard suit could not be heard during vacation without the
consent of all parties, but he decided to give room for the hearing because of
its urgency.
“It
is deserving to be heard during the vacation by the judge nominated by the
Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. But whether it will succeed is another
issue entirely.”
Justice
Abang then fixed Thursday for the hearing of the motion and directed that
hearing notice be issued on the two defendants – INEC and the PDP.
Tags
Politics