Same Court, Same Judge Stops Pdp Convention Again

Same Court, Same Judge Stops Pdp Convention Again

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has again ruled against the convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) planned by the Ahmed Makarfi faction scheduled for Wednesday, in Port Harcourt.

The ruling was made in response to an application by the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the party, through its counsel, Adeniyi Akintola, seeking to stop the convention accusing the defendants of flouting various orders of the court.

However, Ferdinand Orbih, counsel to the Makarfi faction, told the court that they had filed an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter and a stay of execution of that order of the ruling by Abang on July 28.

After hearing both parties Abang ruled in favour of the Sheriff faction.

“An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby made restraining the defendants, any of them, their servant agents from conducting the national convention of PDP and supervising and monitoring same under any guise or electing any national officer of the defendant pending the determination of the substantive suit,” Abang ruled on Tuesday.

“An order of Interlocutory injunction is hereby made restraining PDP from presenting anybody and sponsoring any person for election and holding any national convention or conference in the purpose of electing any national officers of the second defendants.

“An order of Interlocutory injunction is hereby made restraining INEC from monitoring the national convention of PDP scheduled for Port Harcourt on 17th August.”

Earlier on Monday, Justice Abang had given a similar ruling against the planned convention saying: “‎Where a party has taken law into its hands, and to maintain the dignity and integrity of the court and in the over all interest of justice, taking into consideration the competing claims of the parties, an order is hereby made in the interim suspending the PDP convention slated for August 17, 2016, pending when the plaintiff motion on notice dated July 20 is served.”