A Federal High Court judge in Abuja, James Omotosho, on Thursday cautioned against any actions that could undermine his eventual ruling in the suit seeking to halt the scheduled People Democratic Party (PDP)’s planned national convention.
Mr Omotosho gave the warning following the complaint by lawyer to the PDP, Chris Uche, SAN, that his client was being held back by the status quo maintenance order by the court. Mr Uche also applied for speedy hearing of the suit.
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The judge, however, reaffirmed that the status quo order remains in force and must not be flouted by any of the parties involved in the suit.
He said no party must take any step that could render the decision of the court nugatory and threatened that he would be forced to make consequential order against any party that resorts to self-help.
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The judge said that the court would do everything possible to deliver judgement expeditiously for the respective parties to know their fate.
He cautioned against using any ploy to delay speedy hearing of the suit.
Earlier in the proceedings, Kamaldeen Ajibade, also a SAN, who is the National Legal Adviser of the PDP, and Mr Uche had continued their scramble for the authority to serve as the party’s lawyer.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Omotosho had, on Tuesday, adjourned the matter until Thursday for the PDP to put its house in order over its legal representation.
However, when Messrs Ajibade and Uche insisted on being the lawyers to appear for PDP, the judge directed them to file their processes for the court to determine the proper legal representation for the party.
Mr Omotosho consequently 20 October (Monday) for the hearing of the substantive suit and other motions before him.
The judge fixed the date following confirmation that virtually all processes for and against the suit had been filed.
The judge ordered that the filed processes must be exchanged by all parties latest on 17 October to pave the way for accelerated hearing of the suit.
Mr Ajibade and Umar Damagun, the National Chairman of PDP, on Tuesday, disagreed in open court on
who had the power to appoint a lawyer to represent the party.
While Mr Damagum, who was physically present in court in a letter he personally signed, mandated Uche, SAN, to represent PDP in the suit, Ajibade insisted that he was the only authority that could appoint legal representation for the party.
NAN reports that the suit was instituted by Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman) and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South).
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They had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the party; Umar Bature, National Organising Secretary of the party; National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
The plaintiffs filed the suit to stop the planned national convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, between 15 and 16 November. New national officers of the party are expected to be elected at the planned convention.
(NAN)
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