18th October, 2013
Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday ordered Kawu Baraje, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and Sam Jaja to stop parading themselves as national officers of the PDP.
Chukwu said this in his judgment in a suit brought to it on 6 September by the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and 12 others.
The Judge further restrained the Baraje-led new PDP from interfering with the duties of “Bamanga Tukur-led leadership of the party’’.
He also restrained the respondents from operating secretariats of the “New PDP” at the national, state or local levels.
“I further order the Independent National Electoral Commission not to cancel the result of the Special Convention of the party organised on 31 August at the Eagles Square in Abuja.
“I will not make any order as to cost,’’ he said.
Earlier, Chukwu dismissed all the respondents’ preliminary objections raised against the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit.
The court also dismissed the objections alleging that the plaintiffs abused court process by instituting the suit.
According to the respondents, the court should have directed parties to plead their evidence by appearing physically in court to testify in view of the contentious nature of the suit.
The PDP has been embroiled in crisis since 31 August when a faction walked out from the venue of an ongoing national convention of the party and appointed a new executive committee.