Despite Fresh Court Injunction, PDP To Conduct Congresses In Rivers

The Rivers State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted on going ahead with its scheduled Congresses despite a fresh court injunction barring it.

The Whistler reported that on Friday, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt presided over by Justice Charles Wali, had issued a fresh restraining order against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its national leaders from conducting ward, local government area, and state congresses in the state.

The order, effective until the hearing and determination of the suit, was filed by party members from all 23 local government areas.

The plaintiff had approached the court in an interim injunction restraining the state chairman of the party, Chukwuemeka Aaron and nine others including the Inspector General of Police, Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Director of State Security Services and commandant of Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps from taking part in the schedule ward, local government and state Congress of PDP.

The other affected are the PDP leaders which include National Chairman, Amb. Iliya Damagum, and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

The injunction in suit number: PHC/2400/CS/2024 prohibits the first, second and third sets of defendants from gathering in the three hundred and nineteen wards across the 23 local government Areas of the state to conduct the scheduled Congress on the 27th of July, 2024.

Justice CHARLES NWALI ordered that the motion on notice and the order of the court be served on the defendants through a substituted means by publication in any of the national newspapers that are widely spread and read in Rivers State.

Justice NWALI ordered that the applicant will pay the defendant’s damage should it be discovered that the application be found to be frivolous.

Similarly, Justice Sobere Hambo of the Rivers State High Court on the 16th of July in an ex parte application brought by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, David Omereji, and 10 others against the defendants,(PDP) also stopped from holding the congress at any other location or date pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed.

The order was vacated in a Federal High Court in Abuja a few days ago.

Consequently, the PDP, barely a few hours after the court injunction was obtained, issued a memo signed by its State Secretary, Dr. Benibo George declaring that the proposed Congress would hold.

The statement reads: “All Leaders/ National / State Assembly Members/ Stakeholders:

“Please be informed that the ward congresses / ad-hoc delegates election of our great party, PDP, will be held on Saturday, 27th July 2024 as scheduled in Rivers State.”

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