Justice Okon Abang,
delivering ruling in an interlocutory application filed by two governorship
aspirants on the platform of the PDP in Edo and Ondo states, granted an
injunction
restraining INEC, the PDP and their agents from dealing with or
according any facility required by law to any other persons or group than the
Sheriff-led National Working Committee of the party.
The Federal High Court in
Abuja on Thursday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to only
accept the list of Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates for the
forthcoming elections in Edo and Ondo states from the Modu Sheriff-led faction
of the party.
The plaintiffs in the suit
in a PDP governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Chief Benson Akingboye, and one
of his counterparts in Edo State, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma.
Justice Abang ruled that
his restraining orders against the INEC and the PDP would subsist pending the
hearing and determination of the substantive suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/439/2016, filed
by the plaintiffs.
INEC is the 1st defendant
while PDP is the second defendant.
The Federal High Court’s
restraining order came barely 24 hours after Justice Valentine Ashi of a High
Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Apo, Abuja, delivered a judgment
sacking all national officers of the party who assumed office on the basis of
an illegal amendment of Article 46(7) of the party’s Constitution.
Sheriff, who is in a battle
for the control of the party with the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee of
the party that was recently set up at a national convention in Port Harcourt,
benefitted from the said illegal amendment of the party’s constitution.
Consequently, the former
Borno State governor is believed to have been sacked by the Wednesday’s court
judgment.
But ruling on the
interlocutory application on Thursday, Justice Abang directed INEC and the PDP
and their agents to “recognise, deal with and accord all facilities required by
law “(regarding the gubernatorial elections to be conducted by INEC in Edo and
Ondo states) to the Ali Modu Sheriff, Prof Wale Oladipo and Fatai Adeyanju led
NWC”.
Justice Abang further
directed INEC and the PDP to “reject and ignore any activity (including primary
elections/congresses for the nomination of candidates of the PDP for the gubernatorial
elections in Edo and Ondo states, purportedly conducted on behalf of the 2nd
defendant (PDP) by any other persons or group of persons other than the Senator
Ali Modu Sheriff, Prof Wale Oladipo and Fatai Adeyanju led NWC.”
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