Suit seeking to stop PDP presidential primary suffers setback

A suit seeking to stop the presidential primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been stalled at a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Cosmas Ndukwe, a former deputy speaker of the Abia state House of Assembly, had approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop the party’s presidential primary scheduled to take place on May 28.

Ndukwe filed an ex parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/508/2022 through his lawyer, Paul Erokoro, on April 28.

He asked the court to stop the PDP presidential primary because the party did not zone its ticket to the south-east.

Rather than grant the application to halt the planned primary, the judge had ordered that the PDP should appear before it to show cause why the court should not accede to the plaintiff’s demand.

At the court session on Wednesday, M. Aliyu, counsel representing Iyorchia Ayu, PDP national chairman, notified the court that he has filed a case before the appellate court.

He, therefore, prayed the court to grant an adjournment pending when the appeal is heard on Thursday.

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However, Paul Erokoro, counsel to the plaintiff, objected to the application for an adjournment.

Ruling on the application, Donatus Okorowo, the presiding judge, agreed to adjourn proceedings on the grounds that an appeal has been entered.

“I have seen the processes filed by the second defendant regarding the appeal and parties have acknowledged that they have received the notice of hearing,” he said.

“In the present case, there is a motion for joinder, an application which the court cannot ignore.

“I hereby order an adjournment in view of the motion for stay at the court of appeal.

“Matter adjourned till June 1 for continuation of hearing.”

According to the plaintiff’s counsel, the party seeking to be joined is Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president and presidential aspirant under the PDP.

Meanwhile, one of the parties in the suit, Samuel Anyanwu, national secretary of the PDP, has accused the presiding judge of bias and written to the chief judge to reassign the case.

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