Court okays Rivers PDP congresses

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, directed the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State to proceed with the conduct of its ward, local government and state congresses.

While delivering his ruling, Justice Peter Lifu barred the Department of State Services, the police, the Independent National Electoral Commission and seven others from “stopping, truncating or disrupting” the conduct of the congresses of the party.

The congresses were scheduled to commence on July 27 across the country with ward congresses, followed by local government congresses on August 26 and then the state congresses in September.

The scheduled congresses are to elect new officers that would run the affairs of the PDP at the wards, LGs and state levels of PDP in Rivers State.

Following the release of the timetable, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on July 16, 2024, barred the PDP from conducting its congress in the state.

The court order came a few weeks after Governor Siminalayi Fubara told some National Assembly members that the PDP had failed him and his supporters.

The Rivers court presided over by Justice Sobere Biambo gave the order in a suit marked PHC/2282/CS/2024 filed against the PDP, the party’s National Chairman, the National Financial Secretary, and the National Organising Secretary.

The applicants are David Chiinedu Omereji, Prince Solomon Eke, Isodoye Tobin, Goddy Manfred Pepple, Okiah Precious Chigozirim, Orolosama Peter Amachree, Goodfriday Nweke, Alfred Letam, Wechie Ndubisi Raymond, Mr. Erebie Michael and Ogenma Idalunimulu

Justice Lifu, while delivering a ruling on the ex parte application on Tuesday, brought by six members of the PDP in Rivers State, however, asked the acting PDP National Chairman, Iliya Damagum; National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, to proceed with the conduct of the congresses as scheduled.

Justice Lifu also ordered the PDP and the three national officers to adhere strictly and honour the provisions of the guidelines, adjusted timetable and schedule of activities 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 ad hoc form within the time stipulated in the guideline from running for any elective office of the party or ad hoc or national delegates’ position, pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed.

In granting the request of the plaintiffs, the judge ordered them to enter into a fresh undertaking to indemnify the defendants to be assessed by the court if, at the end of the day, it was discovered that the court was misled into granting the restraining orders.

Justice Lifu then fixed August 15 for all parties to appear before him for their respective defence.

A certified enrolled order in respect of the motion ex parte signed by Justice Lifu and the Registrar of the court, Mrs Awase Igba, dated July 23, 2024, showed that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, K. O. Njemanze (SAN), argued the ex parte application on behalf of the six plaintiffs.

The current Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the PDP in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka, deposed to the affidavit in support of the ex parte application.