A’Court sets aside orders barring Secondus, others from PDP meetings.
On Friday, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, overturned a lower court order that had barred Uche Secondus, the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, from his position.
Celestine Omehia, the Governor of Rivers, and Austin Opara, the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, have refrained from attending the party’s meetings.
In three separate judgments, a three-member Court of Appeal panel unanimously upheld the appeals filed by the three aggrieved party chieftains.
The appellate court held that it found merit in their appeals.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja had issued an order barring Secondus, Omehia, and Opara from further attending any meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee or participating in deliberations or proceedings of the meetings in any manner.
However, the appellate court held that the political party should decide whether party members should attend meetings or participate in any of its activities.
The court also held that issues relating to whether or not members of a political party should attend the party’s meetings, which are internal affairs of the party, are not justifiable and beyond the court’s jurisdiction.
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HIS EXCELLENCY, RT. HON. AHMADU UMARU FINTIRI
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Professor Clement Augustine, Vice Chancellor, ADSU, Mubi
It ruled that the Federal High Court should not have entertained the cases because it lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine suits dealing with issues within the realm of the political party’s internal affairs.
The Appellate Court declared the proceedings conducted in the three cases before the Federal High Court null and void.
The court also voided the restraining orders made ex-parte by Justice Ekwo on 5 April.