The crisis in the Peoples Democratic (PDP) has taken a new dimension, following a court order restraining the party from conducting elections into the offices of the National Chairman, National Secretary and National Auditor of the party.
The order was given by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos. Incumbent National chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, is the sole candidate for the office of the chairman at the party's national convention slated for May 21in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The same court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring the conduct of any election into the affected offices.
The order restraining the party from conducting elections was in respect of a suit brought before the court by Sheriff, the National Secretary, Prof. Olawale Oladipo and the National Auditor, Alhaji Fatai Adewale Adeyanju.
In the case with suit number FHC/L/CS/61 3/2016, dated 6th of May, 2016, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the PDP were listed as the 1st and 2nd defendants.
The plaintiffs requested from the court an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the PDP from conducting any election into the offices of the National Chairman, National Secretary and National Auditor occupied by Sheriff, Oladipo and Adeyanju respectively, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
They also requested an interlocutory injunction restraining INEC from monitoring and/ or recognizing the conduct of any election by the PDP into the offices of the National Chairman, National Secretary, and National Auditor occupied pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit and any such orders the court may deem fit.
According to the court order dated May 12, 2016, the affidavit in support of Motion on Notice and the exhibits attached were deposed to by Adeyanju.
In response to the submission made by the plaintiffs' counsels, the court, presided over by Justice I.N. Buba, granted the plaintiffs' request for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant/Respondent from conducting any election into the offices of the National Chairman, National Secretary and National Auditor pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
It also granted a similar order restraining INEC from monitoring and or recognizing the conduct of any election into the offices of the affected offices pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.