July 18, (THEWILL) – The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, has underscored the seriousness of his assignment in the state as he warned party faithful that he is not in Plateau State for a “tea party”.
Senator Ogbeha made this emphasis during an interactive session with aggrieved members of the party, some of whom were so bitter that they sued the party in court seeking one prayer of redress against the party.
Ogbeha let it be known to all that he was on a peace mission to the state to reconcile aggrieved members, reposition the party and entrench a system in which equity, inclusiveness and equality are the rule.
“I am not here for the sake of any particular interest. I am not here to support one faction or the other. Rather, I’m here to kill impunity in the party by providing a conducive atmosphere for all and to reposition the party to accommodate all members. I am not here for a tea party,” he said.
The purpose of the interactive session was to initiate a ceasefire among warring groups within the party and to embrace inclusiveness and common purpose, as the group pledged support for and cooperation with the caretaker committee and agreed to withdraw all cases against the party pending in court.
The new wind of friendship and togetherness was again strengthened when former governors Fidelis Tapgun and Jonah David Jang jointly visited the committee at the party’s secretariat in Jos and pledged their loyalty and subordination to its assignment.
Both Tapgun and Lalong called on all members of the party to close ranks and work for the success of the party in the forthcoming local government elections, as well as recapture power in the state, come 2023.
Plateau PDP Drags PLASIEC to Court
From Ukandi Odey, Jos
The Plateau state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has dragged the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, to court for excluding it from the list of political parties qualified to participate in the local government council polls scheduled to hold on October 9, this year.
In a suit filed in the High Court of Justice, Jos Judicial Division, with suit number PLD/J250/2021, the PDP, among other grounds, is praying the court to determine whether as a registered political party in Nigeria, “it does not have the right to, and is not entitled to hold primaries to nominate candidates, to obtain nomination forms from the defendant, to participate and canvass for votes, present and sponsor its candidates in any election, and in particular, the elections into the various seats of chairman and councilors of all the local government councils in Plateau state scheduled to hold on October 9, 2021”.
With a seven-point ground for determination, the originating summons filed on behalf of the PDP by Pwajok, Ikowe & Co, the Party is also seeking a declaration, inter alia, that the claimant, as registered political party in Nigeria, “ is entitled to nominate and present, participate and canvass for votes, and sponsor its candidate in any election, and in particular elections into the various seats of chairmen and councilors of all the local government councils of Plateau State”
In a twin development, the PDP has also filed a motion on notice against the PLASIEC as contained in suit number PLD/J250M/2021.
The Party wants the Court to issue an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendant from conducting the said elections until the determination of the substantive suit.
Including an order of accelerated hearing, the motion on notice is also seeking an interlocutory injunction barring defendant from giving effect to its letter to the claimant dated June 23, 2021, notifying it of its disqualification from participating in the scheduled local government elections.
About the Author
