Lawyers Fight Over Representation In PDP Suit

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baraje: read the declaration

The legal battle between the Alhaji Kuwa Baraje’s Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led faction and Bamanga Tukur’s faction took a dramatic twist Monday as three lawyers fought over who should represent PDP in the suit.

Baraje and three other top members of the PDP had dragged Alhaji Tukur and three other officials of the party before an Ikeja High Court seeking an order to restrain them from parading themselves as officials of the party.

Baraje and his co-claimants are also asking the court for an order to nullify the party’s mini convention held last month in Abuja.

At the commencement of hearing in the suit Monday, Robert Emukpoernu announced his appearance for all the claimants while Emeka Etiaba, Boniface Igwe and Ajibola Oluyode separately announced their appearance for Tukur and his co defendants.

The three lawyers claimed that they both had legal authorization from the defendants to defend the suit.

Ajibola Oluyode who initially instituted the suit claimed that he was not aware of any instruction from his clients handing over the matter to any other lawyer other than himself.

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On his part, Emeka Etiaba told the court that he got a letter of instruction from the second, third and fourth defendants to defend the matter on their behalf.

The third lawyer, Boniface Igwe also made same claim, saying he was instructed by the leadership of the party to represent all the defendants in the matter.

After hearing arguments from the three lawyers on the issue, presiding Judge, Justice Ganiyu Safari ruled that from evidence before the court, Ajibola Oluyode is the recognised counsel for defendants since he initiated the suit.

Thereafter, counsel for the claimants and defendants started arguing the cases before the court.

—Henry Ojelu

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