Our order stoping PDP’s congresses in Abia still subsists – Court rules

Abia State High Court, Bende Judicial Division, presided over by Justice C.U. Okoroafor, has told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that its earlier order restraining the party from holding state, local government and ward congresses in Abia State has not yet been vacated.

The court order, which is dated October 25, was pursuant to the suit marked HB/3/2024, filed by Francis Etuzu, Chidindu Kalu Kalu, and Enyinnaya Ogbu.

The court also ordered that contempt proceedings be served on the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; Abia PDP Caretaker Committee Chairman, Alwell Asiforo Okere; and the Caretaker Committee Secretary, Kenneth Madubuike.

Defendants in the suit include the PDP (excluding the claimants), the National Chairman of the PDP, the PDP National Financial Secretary, the PDP National Organizing Secretary, and the PDP National Legal Adviser.

The order read in part: “That leave be and is hereby granted to the Claimants/Applicants to serve Forms 48, 49, and all other processes in respect of contempt proceedings in this suit on the Defendants, i.e., Senator Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary, PDP), Alwell Asiforo Okere, (Chairman, Caretaker Committee Abia State PDP), and Kenneth Madubuike (Secretary, Caretaker Committee, Abia PDP) by substituted means, by delivering the same to any adult inmate in the PDP Abia Secretariat at Onyerobi Close, off House of Assembly Road, Umuahia, Abia State, or by pasting the same at the PDP Abia State Secretariat at Onyerobi Close, off House of Assembly Road, Umuahia, and/or by electronic means via each of the party’s personal WhatsApp phone numbers.”

“Parties are hereby once again reminded that the order made by this court on July 23, 2024, still subsists until the final determination of the substantive matter.”

Recall that the claimants had on July 23 obtained an order of the court barring the PDP from holding its ward congress, earlier scheduled for July 27.

The court had also stopped the PDP from extending the tenure of the Okere-led State Working Committee (SWC) of the party.

The July 23 court order restrained the party from carrying out or rescheduling the party congresses pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed.