From Magnus Eze, Enugu

The conduct of the April 30, 2022 ward congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to elect 3-man delegates in Enugu State has been dogged by controversies leading to multiple court cases.

The latest was Suit No. FHC/EN/CS/71/2022 challenging the conduct of the exercise whereby the party gave an undertaking not to conduct primary elections in Enugu State pending the hearing and determination of the case.

This is contained in a certified true copy of the proceedings of the Federal High Court Enugu dated May 10, 2022 sighted by Daily Sun.

The PDP gave the undertaking through its counsels led by Abdul Mohammed (SAN) at the hearing of the suit brought before the court by Sunday Okafor, Emmanuel Agbo, and Emma Felix against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP. Also joined in the suit are the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, on behalf of themselves and on behalf of other members of the National Executive Committee of the party.

Okafor and others had avowed that they were bonafide members of the PDP, but were unlawfully excluded from the three-man delegates’ congress and prayed the court to nullify the exercise.

They equally prayed the court to order an accelerated hearing of the matter and substituted service on Ayu and Anyanwu, prayers which were all granted by Justice I.N. Buba.

Justice Buba also ordered the defendants to appear in court on tomorrow, May 13, to show cause why the orders sought by Okafor and others to nullify the congress should not be granted.

At the resumed hearing, however, the PDP, through its counsel, however told the court that the plaintiffs needed not be in much hurry as the party would not do anything that would undermine the matter under litigation, in this case, conducting primary elections until the hearing and determination of the suit.

Based on “the little reputation we have in this, we will not do anything”, Mohammed told the court. The matter was adjourned till May 13, 2022.

Daily Sun gathered that another set of party faithful, who allegedly participated in the three-man delegates conference has also dragged the party before the Federal High Court Abuja seeking the recognition of their delegates list.

The group said to be loyal to former deputy president of the Senate and gubernatorial aspirant, Ike Ekweremadu, claimed they only complied with the PDP Constitution and Guidelines for the election of ad-hoc delegates, while the other list championed by the state Governor did not emanate from the actual exercise at the designated centres.

However, another group had on May 6, also gone to the Enugu State High Court to preserve the delegates list in contention.