Rivers: PDP Defiles Court Orders, Holds Ward Congress

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is currently conducting ward congresses across various wards in Rivers State, despite multiple court orders aimed at halting the exercise.

On Friday, Justice Charles Wali prohibited the PDP, along with its National Chairman Iliya Damagum and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu, from holding ward, local government, and state congresses until the court hears and determines the suit before it.

The suit, filed by PDP members from each of the 23 Local Government Areas, challenges the conduct of the congresses.

Furthermore, Justice Sobere Biambo had previously issued an interim order suspending the PDP congresses scheduled for July 27, in response to a suit filed by David Omereji and others against the party’s national leadership.

The judge directed law enforcement agencies, including the Inspector General of Police, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS), and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to ensure compliance with the order.

Despite these orders, activities at the PDP Secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt were observed, with various party members collecting materials for the congress in their respective wards and subsequently heading to their various councils.

Contrarily, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, issued a counter-order permitting the PDP to proceed with its congresses.

This ruling barred the DSS, police, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and seven other entities from disrupting the congresses.

Currently, there are conflicting legal orders regarding the PDP congresses in Rivers State: two from the state High Court halting the congresses and one from the Federal High Court allowing them to proceed.

The congresses, scheduled to start on July 27 with ward congresses, will be followed by local government congresses on August 26 and state congresses in September.

These events aim to elect new officers to manage the PDP’s affairs at the ward, local government, and state levels in Rivers State.