A federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, adjourned till Thursday to rule on a motion filed by a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus seeking the stay of execution of the order of the court restraining him from participating in PDP meetings.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order, while ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by a member of the PDP from Rivers State, Titus Jones seeking an order restraining Secondus from attending party meetings.
Titus Jones, a member of the PDP at Ward 5, Ikuru Town, Andoni Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, had in a suit marked marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/440/2024, joined Secondus; PDP; acting PDP Chairman, Umar Damagun; PDP Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; PDP NEC; PDP National Working Committee (NWC); PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 8th defendants respectively.
Jones, through his counsel, Joshua Musa (SAN) had sought an order restraining the NEC, NWC, party’s chairman, secretary, and BoT from allowing Secondus to attend any of the meetings pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, having been suspended from the party.
When the matter came up on Wednesday, the court was informed of an appeal filed by the former PDP national chairman against that order of the court issued on April 5th, 2024.
According to Justice Ekwo, in his ruling on the exparte motion filed by Jones, restrained Secondus from demanding for any notice of National Caucus meetings or meetings of the National Executive Committee of the PDP or Board of Trustees or any other meetings 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 ofthe 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”, among others.
There is also a separate suit filed to bar sacked Rivers Governor, Celestine Omehia, from attending the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting pending the hearing and determination of the matter.
The suit filed before Justice Ekwo by Precious Wobisike, a member of PDP at Ubima Ward 8, Ikwerre LGA of Rivers state, has Omehia, PDP, Damagun, Anyanwu, NEC and INEC as 1st to 6th defendants respectively.
In the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/436/24, Wobisike, also through Musa, sought an order of injunction restraining Omehia from demanding from Anyanwu, the party’s secretary, any notice of meetings of the NEC.
He also sought an order of injunction restraining Omehia from attending any NEC meeting of the party or participating in the proceedings/deliberations of such meetings in any manner howsoever.
Besides, Wobisike sought an order of injunction restraining Anyanwu from giving notice of meetings of the NEC to Omehia, “not being a former Governor of Rivers State as to be a member of the National Executive Committee.”
He equally sought an order restraining INEC from according recognition to the reports, proceedings, conclusions or resolutions reached at any NEC meeting attended by Omehia.
