… Duke, Idagbor Express Satisfaction With Fresh Congress Elections
… Blast Rocks PDP State Secretariat
SAN FRANCISCO, November 24, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court in Abuja Monday struck out a suit filled by Hon. Jones Tagban and others against the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Muazu; National Secretary, Wale Oladipo, the party’s Nationa Working Committee (NWC); and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The group had instituted the suit following allegations that agents of the party manipulated the results of the November 1, 2014 ward congresses of the PDP in Cross River State.
The plaintiffs therefore asked the court to grant “An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st- 4th defendants, their agents, servants or assigns from taking any step or receiving and acting on any purported report or list of candidates or persons purporting to be the list of elected delegates at the ward congress held in Cross River State on November 1, 2014 from any person or persons other than the Electoral committee…”
Presiding Judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who declined jurisdiction in the suit said, “The complaints bother on pre-primary matters which are covered under internal party matters and as such the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain it presently…”
The PDP had cancelled the congresses and ordered a fresh one for November 24, 2014, following credible allegations by stakeholders that the results of the exercise were altered.
Meanwhile, there was a sinister plot to stop the fresh PDP ward congresses in the state by persons who threw a powerful bomb at the state party secretariat located along the Murtala Mohammed Way in Calabar, early Monday.
Witnesses said the blast, which occurred a few minutes before 6.am shook the buildings around the property as well as shattered their windows.
However, State Party Chairman, Mr. John Okon said the congresses were moved to the Presidential Lodge in the capital because of the damages done to the secretariat.
Confirming the incident at the secretariat, the Police in Calabar in a statement signed by the Police Public Relation Officer, Mr Hogan Bassey blamed criminals for the attack, saying no one was killed or wounded.
“Early today, 24th November, 2014, at about 0535 hours, hoodlums who were unable to penetrate the heavily fortified secretariat by officers and men of the Command, threw an explosive device from behind the premises into the building. The explosion only shattered some louvers on the ground floor. No life was lost nor anybody sustained injury,” the statement read.
Bassey said the incident did not affect the distribution of materials for the congresses.
Meanwhile, some prominent indigenes of the state including the Minister for Culture and Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke and a leading governorship aspirant, Barr Lego Idagbo, have commended the peaceful conduct of the rescheduled delegates election, while condemning the attack on the party secretariat.
Duke described the delegates election as peaceful, free and fair, while Idagbo gave thumps up to the exercise, saying, “It was transparent, rancour-free, free and fair.”
He said the attack on the party secretariat was the handiwork of desperate politicians bent on capturing power at all cost.
According to him, “Only politicians who do not have the support of the people resort to clandestine activities such as this.”
While condemning the act in totality, he urged security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act and be made to face the full weight of the law to serve as a deterrent to others.
