Court refuses to bar PDP from postponing October 24 NEC meeting in Abuja

The Federal High Court, Gusau division, Zamfara State, has refused to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from postponing its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 24, at Wadata House in Abuja.

The court specifically declined to grant the request to bar the party from shifting the NEC parley billed to hold at its Abuja National Secretariat, where the leadership feud rocking the party is expected to be resolved.

Ruling on an ex-parte application filed by a chieftain of the party in Zamfara State, Mr Imam Auwal, Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim refused to issue an order of interim injunction restraining the PDP from shifting the NEC meeting of October 24.

A certified true copy of the order obtained by reporters showed that the order was signed by the judge.

The PDP chieftain, through his lawyer Ibrahim Ali, had in the ex-parte application prayed the court to issue an order of interlocutory injunction against the PDP, restraining it from postponing the upcoming Thursday NEC meeting.

He also applied for an order of the court barring recognition of any other NEC meeting except the one scheduled for October 24.

Besides, Auwal asked that the court issue an order of interim injunction against the National Working Committee (NWC) or any organ of the party from recognising the suspended National Vice Chairman of PDP in the South East region, Mr Ali Odeifa, as a national officer of the party.

However, after taking arguments from the plaintiff’s lawyer in the ex-parte motion marked FHC/GS/CS/68/2024, the judge declined to grant any of the requests sought by the PDP chieftain.

Rather, Justice Ibrahim ordered the plaintiff to put the defendants in the matter on notice regarding the substantive matter.

The judge only granted an abridgement of time to hear the matter and fixed Friday, October 25, for both parties to appear before him.

The aggrieved party chieftain had also sought an order of interlocutory injunction against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), restraining it from receiving any correspondence or communication of whatever nature from the PDP unless a substantive National Chairman is appointed in accordance with Section 47(6) of the PDP Constitution.

The request was also declined by Justice Ibrahim.