A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until January 13 a suit filed by the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, against the party’s Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC)......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Justice Peter Lifu granted the adjournment following an application from the respondents’ lawyers, who requested additional time to regularise and file their processes in the suit.
The plaintiffs — Aaron Chukwuemeka, Oye Fubara Igenewari, and ThankGod Bekee — filed the suit on behalf of themselves and the state, local government, and ward executive committees (EXCOs). They seek an order preventing the NWC from dissolving the State Executive Committee (SEC).
The case, FHC/ABJ/CS/1396/2024, lists the PDP; Damagum, the acting national chairman; Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s secretary; Umar Bature; the National Working Committee (NWC); the National Executive Committee (NEC); and the Board of Trustees (BOT) as the 1st to 7th respondents. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Alhaji Bala Mohammed, chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, are also named as the 8th and 9th respondents, respectively.
The plaintiffs previously approached the court to prevent the respondents from dissolving the Rivers State SEC and other local government and ward-level committees.
On September 24, Justice Lifu issued a restraining order against the PDP’s national leadership, following an ex-parte motion filed by the plaintiffs through their counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Joshua Musa.
The judge also barred the party from appointing an interim committee to replace the state officers at all levels until the substantive suit is resolved.
In their motion, the plaintiffs, represented by Musa, alleged that the party’s national leadership was planning to unlawfully remove them from office and install interim committees in their place. They urged the court to prevent this alleged unlawful act.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, Musa moved a motion to regularize the plaintiffs’ processes in response to the defendants’ recent applications, which was granted by the judge after no opposition from the defense.
However, Sunday Ameh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, informed the court that he had just been briefed on the case and had filed a memorandum of conditional appearance on behalf of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants. He requested an adjournment to file the necessary processes for his clients.
Similarly, Emmanuel Enoidem, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and counsel for the 9th respondent (PDP Governors Forum), requested an adjournment to allow him to organize his case.
The plaintiffs and other lawyers in the case did not oppose the adjournment requests. Justice Lifu subsequently adjourned the matter until January 13, 2025, for further hearing.