The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned a suit filed by the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, against the Umar Damagun-led national leadership of the party.
After the hearing in suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1396/2024 on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu fixed the next hearing for January 13, 2025.
The new date followed an application for adjournment moved by the defence lawyers to enable them regularise and file their processes in the suit.
The plaintiffs, Aaron Chukwuemeka, Oye Fubara Igenewari and ThankGod Bekee, who sued on behalf of themselves and the state, local government and ward executive committees (EXCOs) respectively.
The PDP, Damagun, acting national chairman; Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s secretary; Umar Bature; National Working Committee (NWC); National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) were sued as first to seventh defendants.
Others sued along it are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Alhaji Bala Mohammed, chairman of PDP Governors Forum as eighth to ninth defendants respectively.
The plaintiffs had approached the court to stop the defendants from dissolving the Rivers State Executive Committee (SEC) and others at the local government and ward levels.
Justice Lifu had, on September 24, made an interim order restraining the national leadership of the party from dissolving the state’s executive committees after an ex-parte motion moved by Joshua Musa (SAN) on behalf of the plaintiffs.
The judge equally stopped them from constituting any interim committee to replace the officers of the party at the state, local government and ward levels who are loyal to the FCT minister and former governor of Rivers state.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Musa, who appeared for the plaintiffs, moved a motion to regularize their processes in response to the defendants’ applications served on them and the judge granted it after it was not opposed by the defence lawyers.
Ahmed Mohammed, who represented the eighth defendant (INEC), also moved a motion to regularise his processes and was granted by the court.
However, Sunday Ameh (SAN) informed the court that he was just being briefed about the case and had just filed a memorandum of conditional appearance in the matter on behalf of the second, third and fourth defendants.
Ameh, therefore, sought an adjournment to enable him file all their processes in the matter.
Emmanuel Enoidem (SAN), who appeared for the ninth defendant (PDP Governors Forum), sought an adjournment to enable him put his house in order.
The application for adjournment was not opposed by the plaintiffs and other lawyers in the suit.
Justice Lifu has since adjourned the matter until January 13, 2025 for further hearing.
