A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has issued a fresh order restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from proceeding with its planned congresses in the state.
Justice Charles Wali gave the order on Friday in a suit filed by party members from various wards across the 21 local government areas of the state.
The suit named the PDP as the first set of defendants, while the party’s National Chairman, Amb. Damagum, National Secretary, Senator Anyanwu, and the National Organising Secretary were listed as the third set of defendants. The Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police for Rivers State, the Director-General of the State Security Service, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps were listed as the fourth set of defendants.
Justice Wali ordered as follows:
“That an Order of Interim Injunction is hereby made restraining the 1st) 2nd and 3rd sets of Defendants, their agents, servants, assign, privies and hirelings from gathering in the 319 wards of the 23 local government areas in Rivers State in howsoever and whatsoever manner for the purpose of conducting and/or from conducting the 1st Defendant’s ward, local government or state congresses in Rivers State on the 27th July 2024, 10th August 2024 and or 31st August 2024, respectively, or on any other date and place in Rivers State or Nigeria or anywhere and/or from conducting any election of the 1st Defendant’s ad-hoc delegates or national delegates at any forum wheresoever and howsoever, pending the hearing and determination of the motion оп notice for interlocutory injunction already filed herein.
“That an Order of Interim Injunction is granted directing the 4th set of Defendants, their agents, servants and privies to enforce and carry out the order(s) made herein by preventing the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants from organizing, holding or carrying out the 1st Defendant’s ward, local government and state congresses in Rivers State or anywhere else in Nigeria on the above mentioned dates or any other date(s), pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction already filed herein.
“It is further ordered that the motion on notice and the Originating Summons including this Order be served on the Respondents forthwith by substituted means to wit: by publication in any national newspaper that is widely read in Rivers State.
“It is further ordered that the Applicants are to pay damages to the Respondents as will be assessed should this application be found to be frivolous.”
He thereafter, adjourned the matter to the 1st day of August 2024 for motion on notice.