Court Restrains PDP Chairman Damagun From Interfering with South-South Zonal Congress
The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Acting National Chairman, Iliya Damagun, from taking any steps that could negatively affect the outcome of the party’s South-South Zonal meeting and Congress.
The ruling came after an ex-parte motion filed by Ibrahim Idris, SAN, who represented George Turnah, a plaintiff and the Zonal Secretary of the PDP South-South Zone. The plaintiff argued that the national leadership of the PDP was attempting to annul the results of the South-South Zonal meeting held in Benin on February 15, and the zonal elective congress in Calabar, Cross River, on February 22.
During the congress, Chief Dan Orbih was re-elected as Vice Chairman for the South-South Zone, along with other members of the Zonal Working Committee. Turnah contested that it was not the responsibility of the national party leadership to interfere with or dictate the conduct of zonal congresses.
In his ruling, Justice James Omotosho stated that it would be unfair to grant the motion without allowing the defendants to respond. He expressed concern that such a move might damage the party’s functioning and was thus more appropriate to give the defendants an opportunity to present their case.
Consequently, Justice Omotosho instructed that the defendants, including Damagun and the PDP, be served with the motion through substituted service at the party’s headquarters in Abuja. The court emphasized that the defendants must refrain from taking any steps that could undermine the outcome of the case or make the judicial proceedings nugatory.
The case is scheduled for further hearing on March 18, with the defendants required to respond to the motion for an interlocutory injunction. The plaintiff seeks an order preventing the defendants from holding any meetings to overturn the results of the February congress or recognizing any resolutions passed in such meetings.
