Count Us Out Of Rivers State Appeal Court Case – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said an appeal filed at the Port Harcourt Appeal Court Division was not from the party.

The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said the appeal marked Suit No: PHC/2177/CS/2024, in Rivers State Appeal Court Division was not from the party.

Ologunagba said only the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) has the duty to file suits on behalf of the party.

The Appeal Court suit challenges the “Order of the Rivers State High Court restraining the Chief Judge of Rivers State and the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly from receiving or acting on any resolutions from certain individuals pending the determination of a case before it.”

Ologunagba. in a statement, on Sunday, said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP National Legal Adviser, Barr. Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN has ascertained that the Party did not file the said Appeal neither did it authorize any external solicitor to file same on its behalf. As such, the PDP cannot be listed as Appellant in the Appeal.

“The PDP states categorically that it did not file the said Appeal at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division challenging the Order of the Rivers State High Court restraining the Chief Judge of Rivers State and the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly from receiving or acting on any resolutions from certain individuals pending the determination of a case before it.

“The PDP restates that only the National Legal Adviser of the Party has the exclusive responsibility of conducting the litigation, prosecution and defense of cases on behalf of the Party including its Organs, Chapters and Officials as expressly provided for in Section 42 of the PDP’s Constitution (as amended in 2017).”

The PDP National Publicity Secretary added, “Our Party had in a Public Notice published on January 17, 2023 notified the public that nobody, Authority, Office or Organ other than the National Legal Adviser has the competence to file or engage external solicitors to file or handle cases on behalf of the Party, which engagement must also be in writing under the hand of the National Legal Adviser specifying amongst other things, the nature of the case and other terms and conditions of the engagement.

“The PDP therefore dissociates itself from the purported Appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division in connection with Suit No: PHC/2177/CS/2024.”