Aggrieved PDP Members Drag Secondus, Salvador To Court Over LG Congresses
Nine aggrieved members of Lagos State Chapter of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have asked a Lagos High Court, to nullify the party’s congresses conducted in 2017, for not conforming with the party’s constitution.
The nine aggrieved members: Ishola Isiaka Shodiya, Ismaila Abiodun Abiola, Mr. Kehinde Adelani, Mr. Kazeem Adeyemi, Awoyemi Abayomi, Adegboyega Adegbesan, Olalekan Bello, Florence Akojenu and Wasiu Aderounmu.
Joined alongside the party as respondents in the claimants’ suit marked LD/2753GCM/3018, filed before the court by their lawyer, O. J. Osinowo, are: Prince Uche CHE Secondus, the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, the party’s South-West Zone, National Vice Chairman, Mr. Moshood Salvador, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The aggrieved PDP members apart from asking the court to nullify the said Congresses which were conducted on October 21, 2017, also asked the court for a declaration that Moshood Salvador and other members of his executive are not validly elected at any congress, and that they cannot parade or present themselves as members of the party’s Executive Committee in Lagos State.
They also asked the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the national body of the party and its national chairman, Prince Secondus, from swearing, dealing with and recognising Salvador’s led executive.
They also asked the court for an order compelling and directing PDP to conduct congresses for elections of members into offices as contained in the party’s Constitution in all the local government and at state level. And an order directing INEC to monitor and attend the congresses in all local government and State level in Lagos State, within 10 days from the date of the order of the Court.
The respondents in their preliminary objection to the suit filed by their lawyer, Spurgeon Ataene, have asked the court to strike out the suit for being incurably defective. Adding that the originating summon ought to have been served in Abuja and Oyo State out of the court’s jurisdiction.
In urging the court to strike out the suit against them, the respondents States that the claimants failed to complied with the condition precedent to file the suit, as Order 7 Rules 2 and 3 of the High Court of Lagos State Civil Procedure Rule, 2004, were not complied with.
The respondents also stated that the claimants’ suit is not in tandem with the Order 3 Rules 5 and 6 of the High Court of Lagos State Civil Procedure Rules, 2012, as a contentious matter as their suit ought not to be by originating motion.
The respondents also stated that the originating summon and other accompanying processes were not endorsed for service in line with the mandatory provision of Section 97 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.
Based on the above grounds, the respondents therefore urged the court to strike out the suit against them.
Meanwhile, the matter has been fixed for hearing on September 6, before Justice Justice Idowu Alakija.
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