PDP Defies Court Order, Holds Ward Congresses in Rivers

Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday defied Court order barring the party from conducting it’s congresses in Rivers state.

This is just as the party went ahead to conduct it’s ward congress across the state despite being restrained from going ahead with the exercise by a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

A visit to the PDP Secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt by our Correspondent revealed that various members of the party were seen collecting materials for the congress in their various wards across the state.

The party members however dispersed to their various councils after taking possession of the materials using different vehicles.

This was as a Rivers State High Court, presided over by Justice Charles Wali on Friday, restrained the PDP, its National Chairman Iliya Damagum, and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu, or their agents, from gathering anywhere in Rivers State to hold ward, local government, and state congresses until the court hears and determines the suit before it.

The suit was filed by PDP members from each of the 23 Local Government Areas, challenging the conduct of the Congress.

Justice Wali also directed the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, the Director-General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS), and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to comply with the order.

Earlier within the month, Justice Sobere Biambo, had also issued a similar restraining order in a suit filed by David Omereji and 10 others against the PDP, its acting national chairman, national financial secretary, and national organizing secretary from conducting the congresses in Rivers State.

The order reads in part, “An interim order is hereby issued stopping or suspending the PDP congress in Rivers State scheduled to hold on July 27 or any other date or location pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed.”

However, following the restraining order by Justice Biambo’s court, another Federal High Court sitting in Abuja issued a counter order allowing the PDP to proceed with the exercise.

Justice Peter Lifu in his ruling, barred the Department of State Services, the police, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and seven others from “stopping, truncating, or disrupting” the congresses.

The PDP congresses are scheduled to commence on July 27 across the country with ward congresses, followed by local government congresses on August 26, and state congresses in September.

The exercise, we learnt, took place in Emohua, Khana, Ikwerre, Obio Akpor, Ahoada East, among LGAs in the state.

These congresses are meant to elect new officers to run the affairs of the PDP at the ward, local government, and state levels in Rivers State.