A federal High Court sitting in Abuja, will on Thursday April 18, 2024 rule on a motion filed by a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus seeking the stay of execution of the order of the court restraining him from participating in PDP meetings.
A PDP member from Rivers State, Titus Jones had through an ex-parte application before the court obtained an order restraining Secondus from attending party meetings pending the determination of a substantive suit..
Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the restraining order barring Secondus from attending the party meetings .
The judge granted the seven prayers contained on the motion paper which among other things, sought to stop Secondus from participating in the meetings slated to hold next week.
In the suit which has Uche Secondus; the PDP; Acting Party National Chairman, Umar Damagun; PDP National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; PDP National Executive Committee; PDP National Working Committee; PDP Board of Trustees and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as first to eight defendants respectively the plaintiff had averred that Secondus had been suspended from the party.
When the matter came up on Wednesday, the court was informed of an appeal filed by the former PDP national chairman against that order of the court issued on April 5th, 2024.
The plaintiff – Jones, a member of the PDP had filed the suit seeking an order restraining the NEC, NWC, party’s chairman, secretary, and BoT from allowing Secondus to attend any of the meetings pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, having been suspended from the party.
Justice Ekwo, in his ruling on the exparte motion filed by Jones held that, “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 ofthe 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 judgment 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”, among others.