3 weeks ago
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… arsenic Damagun, Ajibade tangle successful tribunal implicit ineligible representation
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA–The Federal High Court sitting successful Abuja, connected Tuesday, deferred proceeding of a suit seeking to halt the planned National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Justice James Omotosho shifted proceeding of the substance till Thursday, pursuing a powerfulness tussle that played retired successful the unfastened tribunal aft the lawsuit was called up.
A mild play ensued aft the National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum and the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, tangled implicit who has the authorization to prosecute lawyers to correspond the party.
The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was brought earlier the tribunal by 3 aggrieved members of the party; Hon. Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Hon Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman) and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South).
Shortly aft the lawsuit was mentioned, Damagum, who was physically contiguous successful court, successful a missive helium personally signed, mandated Chief Chris Uche, SAN, to pb the party’s ineligible team.
On the different hand, the Legal Adviser, Ajibade, SAN, who was arsenic successful court, announced himself arsenic the lawyer for the party, insisting helium was the lone authorization that could name ineligible practice for the PDP.
Before Ajibade’s announcement, Chief Uche, SAN, who came to tribunal with 5 different SANs, had already told the tribunal that they were duly authorised to support the party.
Chief Uche, SAN, was yet to presume his spot erstwhile the PDP’s ineligible advisor countered him by besides announcing his quality arsenic the bonafide ineligible typical of the party.
Despite Chief Uche’s authorization letter, which helium submitted to the court, Ajibade, SAN, contended that the party’s constitution solely vested connected him, the powerfulness to name lawyers to grip ineligible matters for the party.
He cited respective decided cases to backmost up his argument.
In presumption of the dispute, Justice Omotosho initially stood down the lawsuit for astir 10 minutes to alteration Damagum and Ajibade to measurement retired of the courtroom to scope a statement connected who should correspond the enactment successful the suit.
However, erstwhile the tribunal reconvened, the duo informed the justice that they were incapable to scope an agreement.
They, therefore, requested for an adjournment to alteration them to spell backmost and reconcile their differences.
On his part, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, who announced his quality for the plaintiffs, urged the tribunal to proceed with proceeding of the suit should PDP neglect to enactment their location successful bid connected the adjacent adjourned date.
Justice Omotosho, successful a ruling, joined Damagum, Ali Odefa and Chief Emmanuel Ogidi arsenic the 7th, 8th and 9th defendants successful the suit.
They were joined aft the tribunal heard 2 abstracted applications that were argued by their lawyers, Paul Erokoro, SAN, and Audu Anuga, SAN.
Erokoro, SAN, portion arguing for Damagum’s inclusion arsenic a suspect successful the matter, insisted that helium was a indispensable enactment successful presumption of his presumption arsenic the National Chairman of PDP, Chairman of its National Working Committee, NWC, Chairman of the National Executive Committee, NEC, arsenic good arsenic the Chairman of the Convention Committee.
Similarly, Anuga, SAN successful his submissions for the inclusion of Odefa and Ogidi, told the tribunal that the duo are officers of the enactment who would beryllium affected 1 mode oregon the different by the result of the case.
Counsel to the plaintiffs, Daudu, SAN, opposed the applications and urged the tribunal to disregard them.
He contended that the plaintiffs did not question immoderate alleviation against those that sought to beryllium joined, adding that the substance earlier the tribunal could beryllium efficaciously resolved without their input.
In his little ruling, Justice Omotosho said helium was minded to let the applicants to beryllium a portion of the lawsuit considering the positions they inhabit successful the PDP.
Describing them arsenic indispensable parties, the tribunal said it was satisfied that they would beryllium affected by the result of the case.
Consequently, the tribunal ordered the plaintiffs to amend the processes to bespeak the names of the applicants arsenic the 7th, 8th and 9th defendants.
Other defendants successful the substance are the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; the PDP; the National Secretary of the party...
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