The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is embroiled in a fresh legal battle, following a suit seeking to stop its national chairman, Umar Damagum, and other national leaders of the party from further acting in their capacities over alleged violation of the party’s constitution.
The suit was filed by a former aide to Atiku Abubakar, Otunba Segun Sowumi, who was the spokesman of the PDP during the last general elections, and a former gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State.
Also joined as defendants in the suit are the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Umar Nature (National Organising Secretary), Okechukwu Daniel (National Auditor), Ahmed Yayari (National Treasurer), Muhammed Kadade (National Youth Leader) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/70/2024, filed by his lawyer, Anderson Asemota, Sowumi accused the national leadership of the party of hampering its fortune in future elections by failing to hold the mandatory National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to enable its members review the party’s activities, take critical decisions, and plan for future elections.
Showumi noted that since the meeting was last held on September 8, 2022, during the tenure of the sacked chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, the new leadership under Damagum, has allegedly refused to convene NEC meeting, despite demands by concerned party members.
He told the court that not only did the failure to hold the NEC meeting violate the party’s constitution, it was also inimical to the progress of the party, and threatened his fortune and those of other members, who plan to contest future elections.
The plaintiff wants the court to among other reliefs, issue an order of perpetual injunction restraining Damagum and other national leaders, including their agents, from functioning or continuing to function or discharge the functions of their offices until they call for, or cause to be called and held, meeting of the NEC of the PDP in total fidelity and obeisance to the PDP constitution.
In addition, the aggrieved politician, wants the court to order the party’s leadership “to immediately call for or cause to be called and held, the meeting of the NEC of the party to present the activities of the party from the date of the last NEC meeting, which was held on September 8, 2022.”
He is equally seeking an order directing Damagum and others “to immediately call for or cause to be called and held, the meeting of the NEC of the PDP to present the proposed guidelines and regulations governing the conduct of elections to the party offices at all levels, and procedure for selecting party candidates for elective offices to the members of the NEC.”
In his supporting affidavit to the suit, he stated that since the party participated in the last governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states, the reports of the elections have not been presented to the party as required.
He added that elections are coming up in Edo and Ondo state elections and the party needs to also plan and prepare ahead, “which preparation and planning can only be done at the meeting of the members of the NEC.
According to him, “By the provisions of Articles 31(2)(4) &(5) of the party’s constitution, Damagum and leaders of the PDP are obligated to call for or cause to be called and held, quarterly or at the request of one-third of members of the NEC of the PDP, the meeting of the NEC of the PDP at which they shall present proposed guidelines and regulations governing the conduct of elections to the party offices at all levels, and procedure of selecting party candidates for elective offices to the members of the NEC.
By their conduct and actions aforesaid the second to seventh defendants are acting in breach and violation of the constitution of the first defendant (PDP) and the provision of the Electoral Act, 2022, which may have fatal consequences for the smooth and continuous running of the first defendant as a political party in Nigeria.
“It is now necessary to construe the relevant provisions of the law and the first to seventh defendants viz-a-viz the provisions of the constitution of the first defendant to determine the existence and extent of the jural rights of the parties in conformity with their own law, in the interest of justice, law, and order.
Credit: The Sun
Leave a Reply