By Ogochukwu Isioma
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has stopped the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its planned 98th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
METROWATCH reports that the PDP last week scheduled a NEC meeting for Thursday, April 18, amid the rivalry between its 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as they vie for control of party structures.
The announcement comes on the heels of appeals from different sectors and organs of the PDP, that the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) should organise a NEC meeting to, among other matters, sanction those involved in alleged anti-party activities during the 2023 election.
It will be recalled that the decision by Atiku not to select Wike as his vice presidential candidate following his victory over him in the presidential primary led to a rift in their relationship and, consequently, within the PDP.
Subsequently, Wike and other party leaders, under the G-5 group, actively campaigned against the former vice president, throwing support behind the All Progressives Congress’ candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the election.
In his ruling in an ex-parte motion by one Titus Jones, a PDP member from Wike’s Rivers State, on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo stopped a former Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, from participating in the party’s meetings pending the determination of a motion on notice.
Also, the acting National Chairman, Secretary of the Party, NEC, and Board of Trustees (BoT) were ordered not to allow Secondus to attend any of its meetings until the suit is determined.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/440/2024, Uche Secondus; the PDP; acting PDP chairman, Umar Damagun; the PDP Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; the PDP National Executive Committee; the PDP National Working Committee; the PDP Board of Trustees and Independent National Electoral Commission were listed as defendants.
The plaintiff had sought an order restraining the NEC, NWC, party chairman, secretary, and BoT from allowing Secondus to attend any of its meetings pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Jones also prayed the court to stop Secondus from attending any meeting of the party pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
In his ruling dated April 5, 2024, a copy which was exclusively obtained by METROWATCH on Monday, in Abuja, Justice Ekwo granted all the reliefs of the plaintiff.
It reads, “Order is hereby made restraining the 1st Defendant from demanding for any notice of National Caucus meetings or meetings of the National Executive Committee (5th Defendant) or Board of Trustees (7th Defendant) or any other meetings of the 2nd Defendant from the 4th Defendant pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Order is hereby made restraining the 1st Defendant from attending any meeting of the 2nd Defendant, be it caucus meetings, meetings of the National Executive Committee (5th Defendant) or Board of Trustees (7th Defendant) or any other meeting howsoever described participating in the proceedings, deliberations of any such meeting pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Order is hereby made restraining the 4th Defendant, his Agents, Servants, Subordinates, Officers howsoever described from giving any notice of meeting of the 2nd Defendant be it caucus meetings, meetings of the National Executive Committee (5th Defendant) or Board of Trustees (7th Defendant) or any other meeting however called to the 1st Defendant who has been suspended from the 2nd Defendant pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Order is hereby made restraining the 2nd defendant, its Officers, Servants, Agents, Privies, Organs howsoever described from granting access or allowing the 1st Defendant to attend and/or participate in the meetings of the National Caucus, the National Executive Committee or the Board of Trustees or any other meeting of the 2nd Defendant while his suspension subsists pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Order is hereby made restraining the 8th Defendant, its Officers, Servants, Agents howsoever described from according recognition to the report, proceedings, conclusions or resolutions reached at any meeting of the 2nd Defendant held in violation of the judgment in the case of Ibeawuchi Ernest Alex & 4 Ors, V. Prince Uche Secondus Suit No: PHC/2183/CS/2021 and Articles 30 (1) (S), 31(1) (u) and 32 (1) (b) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (as amended in 2017) pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Leave is granted the Applicant to serve the Motion on Notice, Originating Summons and all other processes of this Court in this suit on the 1st Defendant/Respondent by substituted means to wit, by pasting all the said processes of Court at the place ofbabode of the 1st Defendant/ Respondent at No.5, Bobo Close, Maitama, Abuja.
“Service to be effected within 5 days of this Order.
“Order is hereby made deeming such service as in (6) above as proper service.”
The matter was, however, adjourned till April 12, 2024, for motion on notice.
