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… Restrains INEC, Police, DSS, Others from disrupting process
Emma Sunday, Port Harcourt
A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police, the Department of State Service (DSS), and seven others from stopping or disrupting the conduct of the ward, local government and state congresses of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State.
The proposed congresses aims to elect new executives to pilot the affairs of the PDP at the wards, LGs, and state levels in Rivers State.
The congresses are also to elect ad-hoc and national delegates as specified in the constitution, guidelines, adjusted timetable, and scheduled of activities in 2024.
The presiding Judge, Justice Peter Lifu in his ruling, on an ex-parte application brought by six members of the PDP in Rivers State, ordered the PDP, Acting National Chairman of the party, Iliya Damagum; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu and National Organizing Secretary, Umar Bature to proceed with the conduct of the congresses as scheduled by PDP.
The judge, however, ordered the PDP and the three national officers to adhere strictly and honour the provisions of the guidelines, adjusted timetable, and schedule of activities 2024 duly issued and published pending the determination of a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction filed along with the motion ex-parte.
Justice Lifu also restrained PDP and the three national officers from allowing any person who did not obtain a nomination form or ad-hoc form within the time stipulated in the guideline from running for any elective office of PDP or ad-hoc or national delegates position pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed.
In granting the request of the six PDP members who filed the motion ex-parte, the judge ordered them to enter into a fresh undertaking to indemnify the defendants to be assessed by the court if, by the end of the day, the court discovered that it was misled into granting the restraining orders.
Justice Lifu subsequently fixed August 15 for all parties in the motion on notice to appear before him for their respective defense.
The six PDP members who filed the ex-parte application are Aaron Chukwuemeka, Benibo George, Solomon Ogbonna, Lenebari Inaania, Enia Harris, and ThankGod Owhorji.
