Court Declines PDP Govs’ Exparte Application To Hold NEC, Sack Damagum

Justice Salim Olasupo of the Federal High Court sitting in Gusau has turned down an Exparte application filed by a member of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Imam Auwal, praying the Court for an order to stop the party’s National Executive Committee meeting.

The court, instead, ordered that all the processes should be served on all the defendants in the matter.

The meeting is scheduled for October 24, 2024.

The PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, are first and second defendants, respectively.

In the motion Exparte, the plaintiff prayed the Court for an order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the 1st Defendant, its officers, agents, privies, and/or any person or persons claiming through or under it from postponing its National Executive Committee Meeting, already scheduled to hold on Thursday, 24 October 2024, at its National Secretariat, Abuja, pending the final hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

The plaintiff also prayed the Court for 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 recognising any other National Executive Committee Meeting held on any other dates except the one scheduled for Thursday 24th October 2024 as the 99th NEC Meeting of the 1st Defendant/Respondent pending the final hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

An order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the National Working Committee and all other Organs of the Defendant from recognising the suspended National Vice Chairman (South East Zone), Mr. Ali Odefa, as a member or National Officer of the 1” Defendant, pending the final hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

After listening to submissions by Counsel in the matter, the court held, “UPON listening to the submission of Ibrahim Ali Esq., of Counsel to the Applicant and having gone through the processes filed, I accordingly make the following Orders:

“It is now ordered that prayers 1, 2, and 3 of the motion exparte are declined, that prayer four on the motion exparte is granted. An order is made, abridging time in this proceeding. Those parties are to be put on notice.” The case has been fixed for Friday 25th October, 2024.