The Rivers State High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, has nullified the ward, local government, and state congresses of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) conducted in the state in 2024.
The court’s decision, delivered by Justice Stephen Jumbo, has significant implications for the party’s structure and leadership in the State.
The court’s ruling was in response to a suit filed by two Port Harcourt-based legal practitioners, Edwin Woko and Love Otuonye, and two other PDP members, who challenged the legitimacy of the congresses.
The plaintiffs alleged that the congresses were marred by irregularities, including the exclusion of eligible delegates and manipulation of the electoral process.
Justice Jumbo, in his ruling, declared that the congresses were conducted in violation of the PDP’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
He held that the exclusion of eligible delegates and manipulation of the electoral process rendered the congresses null and void.
The court’s decision has restrained the executives who emerged from the congresses from acting as executive members of the PDP in the state.
This means that the party’s executive committee at the ward, local government, and state levels may be dissolved.
The court had reserved to give a ruling today, the 13th of January, after hearing arguments from both parties in the substantive suit.
Woko and Otuonye, and two others had prayed the court for an order of Interlocutory Injunction to set aside and nullify the purported Congresses conducted in the 319 ward, 23 local government Areas and the state structure of PDP in Rivers State.
The congress, which was conducted on the 27th of July, 10th of August and 31st of August 2024, was said to have been organised despite court injunctions stopping the process.
The applicants are claiming that the congresses were allegedly done in violation and flagrant disobedience to the order of Rivers State High Court issued on the 16th of July 2024, which stopped the PDP and National Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, their agents, servants, privies from conducting congresses pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons already filed.
Woko and Otuonye and two others sought for an order to restrain Aaron Chukeuemeka and others, who are second set of defendants in the suit from acting, representing or parading themselves as members of the state executive committee or officers of the PDP.
They are also seeking an order of court granting that themselves, being the claimants/applicants, are the authentic and subsisting members of the state executive committee of PDP and that the court should direct the PDP, and its National leadership to, henceforth, recognise and deal with the applicants.
The presided judge, Jumbo, after listening to the presentations, granted all the prayers of the applicants and restrained Chukwuemeka and other from acting as the members of the party.
The ruling has been met with mixed reactions from stakeholders.
While some have hailed the decision as a victory for democracy and the rule of law, others have expressed disappointment and vowed to appeal the ruling.
