Justice C. U. Okoroafor of the Abia State High Court has barred the Peoples Democratic Party, Abia chapter, from conducting its congress scheduled for July 27, 2024. The ruling also restrains the party from extending the tenure of its current executive officers at the state, local government, and ward levels......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
The court order came in response to a motion brought before the court by Francis Etuzu, Chidindu Kalu Kalu, and Enyinnya Ogbu against the Abia PDP, the party’s National Chairman, National Financial Secretary, National Organising Secretary, and National Legal Adviser.
In the order dated July 23 and seen by THE WHISTLER on Wednesday, the court restrained the defendants from holding or rescheduling the PDP congress in Abia pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Justice Okoroafor also granted leave to the claimants to serve the originating summons and other processes on the defendants by substituted means in Abuja.
The defendants were also prohibited from taking any decision or giving any directive to extend the already expired tenure of the last State, Local Government, and Ward Executive Officers of the PDP in Abia State.
Justice Okoroafor specifically ordered that the defendants, “either by themselves, they representatives, servants, agents, assigns or howsoever called are hereby restrained from holding or carrying on the Peoples Democratic Party (POWs) Congress in Abia State on 27/07/2024 or to reschedule it to be held on any other date or location pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed.
“The Defendants by themselves, their representatives, servants, agents, assigns or howsoever called are hereby restrained from taking any decision or giving any directive to further extend the already expired tenure of the last State, Local Government and Ward Executive Officers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Abia State pending the hearing a. determination of the Motion on Notice already filed.”
The judge adjourned the case to July 30, 2024, for a report of service on the defendants.
The development comes amid the Abia PDP’s bid to put its house together in the aftermath of its defeat in the last governorship election in the state.
The party has also continued to grapple with a series of defections following its losses in the 2023 general elections.
Notable defectors include former local government chairmen, a former state assembly chief whip, and loyalists of the immediate past governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
In May 2024, the Abia PDP publicly apologised to Abians for not meeting their expectations over the years, acknowledging that this contributed to their electoral defeat.
The party expressed its commitment to learning from past mistakes and charting a new course.