April 9, (THEWILL) – The Federal High Court, Abuja has restrained a former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, from participating in the party’s scheduled meetings, until the determination of a motion on notice.
THEWILL reports that the PDP had scheduled its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for April 18, 2024.
But Justice Inyang Ekwo, who gave the ruling in an ex-parte motion by one Titus Jones (a PDP member from Rivers State), also ordered the PDP National Chairman, its Secretary, National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) not to allow Secondus to attend any of its meetings until the suit is determined.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/440/2024, Uche Secondus, the PDP, acting PDP Chairman, Umar Damagun; the PDP Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; the PDP NEC, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), the PDP Board of Trustees and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), are first to eight defendants respectively.
The plaintiff had sought an order restraining the NEC, NWC, party Chairman, Secretary, and BoT from allowing Secondus to attend any of its meetings, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Jones also prayed the court to stop Secondus from attending any meeting of the party, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
In his ruling dated April 5, 2024, a copy which was sighted by THEWILL on Tuesday, Justice Ekwo granted all the reliefs of the plaintiff.
It reads: “Order is hereby made restraining the 1st Defendant from demanding for any notice of National Caucus meetings or meetings of the National Executive Committee (5th Defendant) or Board of Trustees (7th Defendant) or any other meetings of the 2nd Defendant from the 4th Defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Order is hereby made restraining the 1st Defendant from attending any meeting of the 2nd Defendant, be it caucus meetings, meetings of the National Executive Committee (5th Defendant) or Board of Trustees (7th Defendant) or any other meeting howsoever described participating in the proceedings, deliberations of any such meeting, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Order is hereby made restraining the 4th Defendant, his Agents, Servants, Subordinates, Officers howsoever described from giving any notice of meeting of the 2nd Defendant, be it caucus meetings, meetings of the National Executive Committee (5th Defendant) or Board of Trustees (7th Defendant) or any other meeting however called, to the 1st Defendant who has been suspended from the 2nd Defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Order is hereby made restraining the 2nd defendant, its Officers, Servants, Agents, Privies, Organs howsoever described from granting access or allowing the 1st Defendant to attend and/or participate in the meetings of the National Caucus, the National Executive Committee or the Board of Trustees or any other meeting of the 2nd Defendant while his suspension subsists, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Order is hereby made restraining the 8th Defendant, its Officers, Servants, Agents howsoever described from according recognition to the report, proceedings, conclusions or resolutions reached at any meeting of the 2nd Defendant held in violation of the judgement in the case of Ibeawuchi Ernest Alex & 4 Ors, V. Prince Uche Secondus Suit No: PHC/2183/CS/2021 and Articles 30 (1) (S), 31(1) (u) and 32 (1) (b) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (as amended in 2017), pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“Leave is granted the Applicant to serve the Motion on Notice, Originating Summons and all other processes of this Court in this suit on the 1st Defendant/Respondent by substituted means to wit, by pasting all the said processes of Court at the place of abode of the 1st Defendant/Respondent at No.5, Bobo Close, Maitama, Abuja.
“Service to be effected within 5 days of this Order.
“Order is hereby made deeming such service as in (6) above as proper service.”
Justice Ekwo adjourned till April 12, 2024, hearing on the motion on notice.
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