Court to rule over new poll for PDP scribe

A Nigerian Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday fixed 27 August to hear a suit against the conduct of an election into the office of the National Secretary of the PDP.

Prof. Wale Oladipo, the incumbent National Secretary has approached the court seeking to stop the National Executive Committee (NEC) from conducting fresh election into the office.

Giving ruling in an ex-parte motion filed by the plaintiff/applicant, Justice A.R. Mohammed ordered the party and all its national officers to appear before him on the adjourned date.

“I have gone through the prayers, the affidavit and the depositions, but I am mindful not to grant them without hearing from the other parties.

“In that circumstance, all the respondents in the motion are ordered to appear in court to say why the prayer should not be granted.

The Chairman of the party’s Convention Organising Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, is also a respondent in the suit, while INEC is cited as nominal respondent.

Presenting the motion earlier, Mr Baba Akinwunmi, counsel to the applicant, said that the application was seeking an order of interim injunction to restrain the PDP from conducting election into that office.

Akinwunmi pleaded that the office was not vacant as the National Executive Committee of the party reserved the position for the South West.

According to him, upon the removal of the former National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a special convention was conducted on 13 July in Ibadan.

He said that his client (Oladipo) was duly elected during the convention that was keenly contested.

Akinwumi told the court that there were moves by the National Officers of the party led by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur to conduct election to an office that is already occupied.

The election was scheduled for 24 August.

The court action compelled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) on Thursday in Abuja to suspend the South West zonal congress slated for the date.

This was part of decisions reached at the party`s 62nd NEC meeting attended by President Goodluck Jonathan, some PDP governors and party stalwarts across the country.

According to a communique at the end of the meeting, the party`s NEC took the decision to respect the order of a court.

The communique was signed by the party`s Acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr Tony Okeke.

“NEC acknowledged the service of a court injunction restraining the conduct of the South West Zonal Congress earlier scheduled for Saturday Aug. 24, 2013.

“In line with our avowed disposition to uphold the rule of law, NEC unanimously approved the postponement of the South West Zonal Congress,’’ the communique said.

It directed the party`s National Working Committee (NWC) to go through the court process and to set a new date for the congress when concluded.