Court orders, INEC, security agencies not to stop conduct of Ward, LG, state congresses of Rivers PDP

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, has restrained the Department of State Service (DSS), Police, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and seven others from stopping, truncating or disrupting the conduct of Congresses for wards, local governments and the Rivers State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

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

The Congresses are to also elect ad-hoc and national delegates as specified in the constitution, guidelines, adjusted timetable and schedule of activities in 2024.

Delivering a ruling on Tuesday, 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 Organizing Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature to proceed with the conduct of the Congresses as scheduled by PDP.

The judge, however, ordered the PDP and the three National Officers to adhere strictly and honour the provisions of the guidelines, adjusted timetable and schedule 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 a nomination form or ad-hoc form within the time stipulated in the guideline from running for any elective office of PDP or ad-hoc or national delegates position pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed.

In granting the request of the six PDP members who filed the motion ex-parte, 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 defence.

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 a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, K. C. O. Njemanze SAN argued the ex-parte application on behalf of the six plaintiffs.

Our correspondent also noticed that Hon. Aaron Chukwuemeka, the current Chairman, Caretaker Committee of PDP in Rivers State deposed to affidavit in support of the ex-parte application.

The six PDP members who filed the ex-parte application are; Hon Aaron Chukwuemeka, Dr 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, Nigeria Police Force, Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Director General, State Security Service (SSS) and DSS as 1st to 10th defendants respectively.