THE Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, has restrained the Department of State Service (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and seven others from stopping, truncating or disrupting the conduct of congresses for Wards, local government and Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The congresses are to also elect adhoc and national delegates as specified in the constitution, guidelines, adjusted timetable and scheduled of activities 2024 .
Delivering ruling on Tuesday, July 23, in an ex-parte application brought by six members of the PDP in Rivers State, Justice Lifu ordered the PDP acting National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum; National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and National Organising Secretary, Mr. Umar Bature to proceed with the conduct of the congresses as scheduled by PDP.
The Judge, however, ordered PDP and the three national officers to adhere strictly and honour the provisions of the guidelines, adjusted timetable and scheduled of activities 2024, duly issued and published, pending the determination of a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction filed along with the motion ex-parte.
Justice Lifu also restrained PDP and the three national officers from allowing any person who did not obtain nomination form or adhoc form within the time stipulated in the guideline from running for any elective office of PDP or adhoc or national delegates position, pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed.
In granting the request of the applicants, the Judge ordered them to enter into a fresh undertaking to indemnify the defendants to be assessed by the court if by the end of the day, the court discovered that it was misled into granting the restraining orders.
Justice Lifu subsequently fixed August 15 for all parties in the motion on notice to appear before him for their respective defense.
A certified enrolled order in respect of the motion ex-parte signed by Justice Lifu and Registrar of the Court, Mrs. Awase Igba, dated July 23, 2024, indicated that K. C. O. Njemanze (SAN) argued the ex-parte application on behalf of the six plaintiffs.
The current Chairman, Caretaker Committee of PDP in Rivers State, Mr. Aaron Chukwuemeka, deposed to an affidavit in support of the ex-parte application.
The six PDP applicants including Chukwuemeka; Benibo George; Solomon Ogbonna; Lenebari Inaania; Enia Harris and ThankGod Owhorji.
The defendants in the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ ABJ/ CS/106/12014, are PDP; Damagum; Anyanwu; Bature; INEC; NPF; Inspector General of Police(IGP); Commissioner of Police, Rivers State; DSS and its Director General as 1st to 10th defendants, respectively.
