PDP Crisis: Sheriff, Metuh, Oladapo, 5 Others Seek Court Order To Stop National Convention Amidst Protest

EMBATTLED factional chairman, national secretary and national publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali-Modu Sheriff, Prof. Wale Oladapo and Chief Olisa Metuh respectively and five other national officers of the party have filed an injunction at the federal High Court in Abuja seeking to quash the national convention slated to hold on August 17 pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The judge, Justice Okon Abang had on Tuesday, granted the applicants, leave to have the application heard during the court’s long vacation...

Other applicants are Dennis Alonge-Niyi (Deputy National Youth Leader); Alhaji Bashir Maidugu (Deputy National Legal Adviser); Mrs. Hanatu Ulam (Deputy National Women Leader); Alhaji Lawa Dutsima Anchi (Deputy National Auditor) and Chief Okey Nnadozie (Deputy National Organising Secretary).

Named as respondents are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP as the defendants.

The applicants said the interlocutory injunction was intended to preserve the substance of the case pending the determination of a substantive suit they filed on July 4, 2016, in which they argued among others, that by virtue of the PDP Constitution, their tenure would expire in 2018.

The nine plaintiffs said they filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/464/2016 for themselves and on behalf of the Executive Committee/National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.

However, the PDP National Youth Movement has protested what it alleged to be a plot to use the Federal High Court to scuttle the rescheduled PDP national convention.

The placard-carrying youths, who formed the movement, staged the protest outside the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Metuh was reported to have stated that he is not even aware of any suit to stop the convention and exonerated himself from any such suit.