BEVERLY HILLS, November 07, (THEWILL) –The controversies surrounding the November 1, 2014 nationwide ward congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continued Friday with a Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Alhaji Adamu Muazu, the party’s National Chairman, not to recognize the results of the Akwa Ibom State ward congresses.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola who granted the order ex-parte after listening to the submissions of Mr. Godwin Obla, SAN, counsel to an aggrieved governorship aspirant in the state, Chief Umana Okon Umana, a former Secretary to the Government of the State, gave the directive after agreeing that Umana and his supporters were prevented from participating in the congresses following a order made by the National headquarters of the party.
Justice Ademola also issued an interim injunction restraining PDP from excluding or in any way or manner preventing Umana from participating in the governorship primaries slated for November 29th, 2014 pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the aspirant.
The presiding judge also issued an order of interim injunction against the PDP from acting on a press statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh on the 29th October, 2014 to the effect that only Governoship aspirants from Eket Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State were eligible to contest the party’s primaries.
According to court papers seen by THEWILL, the plaintiff had approached the court to challenge the decision of PDP to exclude him from the party’s primary for the next governorship elections in the state.
In the suit, Umana prayed the court to determine whether the PDP could exclude him from participating in the party primaries for the selection of its candidate for the state governorship election in 2015.
He therefore prayed for an order of injunction restraining the party from excluding him from participating in the primaries.
He also asked the court to set aside the congress of the party held throughout the state last weekend.
Umana also wants the court to determine whether the statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP to the effect that only governorship aspirants from Eket Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State were eligible to contest the party’s primary was not unconstitutional. Illegal, null and void and of no effect.
He urged the presiding judge to declare that he or any other PDP aspirant seeking the office of the governor of Akwa-Ibom State could not be excluded from contesting the forthcoming primary elections of the party.
