Anxiety heightened on Thursday afternoon among members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the fate of the party’s convention slated to take place in Abuja on Saturday.
This is because a Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State again failed to give its verdict on the matter brought up by the former National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus.
Secondus had through his Counsel, Payo Oyetubo, filed a stay of execution and injunction urging the court to suspend the October 30th and 31st national convention of the party and declare him the right person to preside over the convention.
The case which was registered in suit number CA/PH/339/2021 is trying to restrain the conduct of the PDP convention.
The three-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani had adjourned the matter for continued hearing on Thursday.
During the resumed hearing on the case, parties in the matter tendered and argued their addresses which lasted for over two hours.
Counsel for the applicant, Oyetibo (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria) urged the court to preserve the case, “having regard in the jurisdiction of the court to be able to give efficient judgement in the main appeal.”
He said, “the appellant has come to the court to complain that he was unconstitutionally removed from office as the national chairman of PDP, while his tenure is due to expire in December this year.”
He told the court that if the appeal is not granted the right of the appellant (Secondus) will be permanently destroyed.
In his argument, counsel for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents, Henry Bello, informed the court that he filed a 24-paragraph counter-affidavit sworn to by the first respondent on October 28, 2021.
He urged the court to dismiss the case and award the applicant cost, saying that the application is a radical departure on the rest of the appeal.
Other respondents counsel, S. I Ameh (for 6th respondent), D. D Dodo (for 7th respondent), Donald Dewigwe (for 9th and 10th respondents), S. T Hons (for 11respondent) and other counsel allied with the position of Bello and urged the court to dismiss the matter.
Ameh told the court that Secondus was seeking N100 million damages.
Reacting to the arguments, presiding judge, Justice Tsammani, adjourned the matter till Friday, October 29, 2021, for a ruling.
He thanked the parties in the matter for their cooperation but strictly advised the press against giving out wrong information to the public.
He frowned at a report circulating that the court has stopped the forthcoming convention of the PDP.
Credit: Tribune
