There was, yet, another twist to the crisis rocking the Enugu State
chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when an Enugu High
Court, yesterday, restrained the party from using or acting on the
list or names purporting to be the list of delegates elected during
the recent ward and local government congresses, pending the hearing
and determination of the substantive suit on the matter.
The ruling came as a major setback to the faction of the party loyal
to the Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu who had
relied on the purported list even when it was common knowledge that
the ward congresses did not hold in the 260 wards of the state on
November 1, 2014.
The Enugu High Court order is coming on the heels of a declaration by
the national leadership of the party before the Federal High Court
sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, that the ward congress did not hold in
Enugu, contrary to the erroneous claims made by the David Ajah-led
faction. The party also emphatically denied receiving or accepting any
result from or relating to the purported congress.
In its ruling on a suit filed by one Charles Okafor challenging the
validity of the alleged congress, the Enugu High Court presided over
by the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Innocent Umezuluike, also
ordered an accelerated hearing of the substantive suit, citing the
urgency of the matter.
It further granted the plaintiff seven days within which to file his
statement of claim and serve same on the defendant (PDP) and granted
the defendant fourteen days to file its statement of defence and serve
same on the plaintiff. The matter was adjourned to 8th December, 2014
for definite hearing.
It would be recalled that a faction of the PDP in Enugu State led by
the deputy chairman, Elder David Aja had claimed that the ward
congress was conducted “peacefully” in Enugu State and proceeded to
publish a list it claimed contained the names of “elected delegates”.
The State Executive Committee of the party led by the chairman, Chief
Ikeje Asogwa had, however, countered the claim, saying that the
congress never held in Enugu due to the non-arrival of members of the
electoral panel and materials from Abuja on the scheduled date.
The SEC’s position was corroborated by the National Secretariat of the
party which in a counter-affidavit filed in defence of a suit seeking
to prevent it from changing the result of the purported congress,
categorically declared that the congress did not hold in Enugu.
The party stated that due to a misunderstanding “ that almost involved
“fisticuffs” among the members of its electoral committee for the
congress in Enugu, the materials for the election did not leave Abuja
but were deposited by mutual consent at the Wuse Police station for
safe keeping.
It further asserted that contrary to the claims being bandied about,
the result sheets for the congresses were still in its custody, adding
that none of the plaintiffs “won any election and were never issued
with the official result sheet in form PD/004”.
While admitting that “there have been allegations and counter
allegations in respect of the ward congress in Enugu State, the party
declared that it had not accepted any list of ad-hoc delegates from
the contending parties.
The party urged the court to dismiss the suit since the plaintiffs had
from the evidence before it, failed to establish that they won the
election neither have they adduced any evidence that the congress
allegedly conducted was in compliance with the constitution and the
electoral guidelines of the party.
The party said it was working on a new date for the conduct of the
said congress.