UPDATED: Court declines to stop PDP from postponing Thursday’s NEC meeting
A Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara State has rejected a motion ex-parte seeking to among others restrainNational Executive Committee (NEC) National Executive Committee (NEC) from postponing its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting already scheduled to hold on Thursday 24th October, 2024 at its national secretariat, Abuja.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, in a ruling on Tuesday, rejected three key reliefs sought in the motion ex-parte motion files by Imam Auwal, who claimed to be a member of the PDP.
The motion ex-parte was filed in a suit marked: FHC/GS/CS/68/2024, files by Auwal, with the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) listed as defendants.
The plaintiff had, in the motion ex-parte, prayed the court for five principal reliefs:
*An order of interlocutory injunction restraining the first defendant, its officers, agents, privies and/or any person or persons claiming through or under it from postponing its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting already scheduled to hold on Thursday 24th October, 2024 at its national secretariat, Abuja pending the final hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
*An order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants jointly and severally, their servants, agents, privies and/or any person or persons claiming through or under them from recognizing any other National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on any other dates except the one scheduled for Thursday 24th October, 2024 as the 99th NEC meeting of the first defendant/respondent pending the final hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
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*An order of interlocutory injunction restraining the National Working Committee (NEC) and all other organs of the first defendant from recognizing the suspended National Vice Chairman (South East Zone), Mr. Ali Odefa as a member or national officer of the first defendant pending the final
*An order of interlocutory injunction restraining the second defendant not to receive any correspondence or communication of whatever nature from the first defendant, unless a substantive National Chairman is appointed in accordance with Section 47 (6) of the Peoples Democratic Party Constitution (PDP), 2017 (as amended) pending the final hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
*An order to serve on the defendants/respondents the originating summons and the motion on notice, including all other notices in this suit, by serving at their respective offices located in Gusau, Zamfara State.
But after listening to Auwal‘s lawyer, Ibrahim Ali, who moved the motion, Justice Ibrahim declined to grant all the reliefs except the one seeking substituted service of court documents on the defendants.
The relief granted reads: “An order to serve on the defendants/respondents the originating summons and the motion on notice, including all other notices in this suit, by serving at their respective offices located in Gusau, Zamfara State.”
Justice Ibrahim also issued an order abridging time in the proceeding; directed that parties in the suit should be notified and then adjourned October 25.
