By Ben Ogbemudia with agency report
The stakes are becoming high as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) approaches the October 30 and 31 national convention to elect its executive officers. Already, the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, River State adjourned for hearing and possible ruling on the appeal filed by the suspended PDP national chairman, Uche Secondus, to Thursday.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, PDP lawyers asked for time to respond to the appeal, but the apex court judges refused to grant their request, stating that the suit was time-bound given that the national convention would hold on Saturday.
After much pleading, the appeal court gave PDP lawyers 24 hours to file their responses.On August 23, some interested members of the party instituted a suit marked PHC/2183/CS/2021 at the High Court of Rivers State, Port Harcourt Judicial Division, with Secondus and the PDP as defendants.
On September 10 the court delivered its judgment and restrained Secondus from performing the functions of the national chairman of the PDP.
The suspended chairman subsequently filed an appeal seeking an order restraining the PDP, its officers, and representatives from holding or conducting the national convention scheduled for October 30 and 31, or any other date pending the hearing and final determination of the appeal.
However, the PDP has continued to insist that its convention will hold as scheduled. National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, while addressing journalists in Abuja insisted that there was no case in court, adding that the convention would go ahead.
Edo, Ekiti delegates may lose out, says Okowa
Meanwhile, Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday said Edo and Ekiti states might not participate in the forthcoming national convention.
Briefing journalists shortly after meetings with the various committees for the convention at the party secretariat in Abuja, Okowa said the states might not participate due to a myriad of court cases surrendering the delegates’ lists.
Okowa, who is the sub-committee chairman on accreditation for the convention, also said no fewer than 4,000 delegates were expected.
On the court cases stopping the convention, Okowa said it was an issue that would be sorted out soon, adding that the PDP was good at internal crisis management.
Ekweremadu committee receives five petitions
… As disqualified candidates appeal against disqualification
Similarly, the screening appeal committee headed by the former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said they have received about five appeals against some of the aspirants.
The chairman of the convention screening sub-committee disclosed this when he spoke with newsmen at the beginning of the sub-committees seating in Abuja yesterday.
Anambra election: FRSC to work with other security agencies
ThisNigeria learnt that no fewer than three disqualified PDP candidates have appealed against their disqualification ahead of the national convention.
“On the whole, we received about five appeals, one is in respect of non-clearance of Mr Akintan Kareem, a deputy national secretary candidate.
“There is also a petition in respect of clearance of one Timothy Osadolor, a deputy national youth leader candidate from Edo for not being a party member.
“Another petition is in respect of one Usman Shehu a national youth leader candidate for alleged certificate forgery and age falsification.
“We also received an appeal in respect of another candidate Mohammed Usman seeking to be the youth leader, we also received a petition against the clearance of Mr Taofeek Arapaja an aspirant for the office of deputy chairman for the south,” he said.
Ekweremadu added: “We received another petition in respect of the clearance of Sen. Sam Anyanwu a national secretary candidate, claiming that he has taken the party to court previously, against its constitution without exploring the internal mechanism of the party for complaint.
He said that the committee also received a petition in respect of the disqualification of Dr Eddy Olafeso a national publicity secretary candidate.
Ezekwesili advocates building right levels of human capital in Sub-Saharan Africa
Ekweremadu said that the 24 member committee drawn from different parts of the country, were people with vast knowledge and experience, whom the party believes would be able to correct any injustice if there’s any.
“We will listen to all those that have written to us and hear from them. “We will look at the documents before us and possibly we reconvene to look at the presentations and documents before us and be able to drop a report which we send to the party as soon as possible.
“When we are done, we also invite you again to brief you on the outcome of our assignments,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the main Screening Committee had earlier disqualified three aspirants from participating at the October 30 convention.
The Chairman of the Convention Committee and Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa disclosed this during the unveiling of the party’s national convention logo and promotional materials.
