By Mike Ojo
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has turned down the request to stop the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from conducting its planned Local Government and State Congresses in Kaduna State.
Justice Peter Lifu also rejected a plea to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring the conduct of the Congresses, which are aimed at electing new officers for the party at the local and state levels.
The court declined to stop the elections while delivering his ruling on an ex-parte application brought before him by six aggrieved PDP members from Kaduna State.
The judge, after hearing the arguments of the aggrieved members through their lawyer, Mr. Affis Matanmi, held that their requests for restraining orders against the conduct of the Congresses could not be granted and subsequently refused the request.
However, the judge advised the party and INEC to stay further action on the matter, given the pendency of the suit against them.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CD/1144/2024, was instituted by six plaintiffs who claim to be card-carrying members of the party in Kaduna State.
They are Sheu Isa Dan Ina, Mutari Shuiabu, Yusuf Suleiman, Nura Waziri, Malam Mansur Alasan, and Jaafar Abubakar.
PDP, the PDP Kaduna State chapter, and INEC are the 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in the suit.
Meanwhile, Justice Lifu has fixed August 27 for the hearing of a motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction by the plaintiffs.
