An FCT High Court has granted leave of the court to 11 other applicants to be made joinders in suit instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South-South Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih against his suspension by the Edo chapter of the party.
The applicants included Ogbeide-Ihama, Igbinosun Oduwa, Hilary Otsu, Ihama Enaruna, Hon. Ebozoje Leslie, Momodu Abdulkarim, Kassim Abdulkareem, Umoru Vincent Ekpemoiriri, Kayode Ogunnubi, David Okoh Aigbodion and Hon. Segun Saiki. They were all suspended alongside Orbih.
They had approached the court to be made joinders in the interlocutory injunction made in favour of Chief Orbih on October 14, asking the PDP not to take action on the suspension placed on him, pending the determination of the interlocutory motion.
The court granted them the leave and consequently adjourned the matter to November 10, 2021 for hearing.
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi last week in the ruling gave an interim order, restraining the PDP from acting on the said suspension, pending the determination of a motion for interlocutory injunction filed by Orbih.
The ruling was on an ex-parte motion marked: M/6750 filed in a suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/2646 by Orbih and argued by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Godwin Obla with the PDP as the sole defendant.
According to an enrolled copy of the order, the judge ordered Orbih to serve the order and pending motion on notice on the defendant.
Part of the enrolled order read: “Upon listening to M. O. Onyilokwu Esq, counsel for the applicant moving in terms of the motion paper, it is hereby ordered:
“Accordingly, interim order of injunction is hereby made restraining the defendant, at any level of its organs or its servants, agents, officers, or howsoever described, from giving effect to, recognising or acting upon the resolution of a group calling itself Edo North Leaders/Stakeholders of the defendant made on October 7, 2021, purporting to suspend the applicant from the party and which resolution was purportedly ratified by the Edo chapter of the defendant without due consideration to the provisions of Article 57(1)-(7) of the constitution of the defendant, pending the hearing of and determination of the motion on notice.
“This order shall be served on the defendant forthwith and the motion on notice, filed on 13/10/2021 is hereby set down to 21/10/2021 for hearing.”
The applicants are challenging the propriety of their suspension by the local chapter of the party, which suspension was later affirmed by the state chapter.
Edo North and Southern Senatorial leaderships of the party had earlier pronounced the suspension of the party chieftains on October 8, 2021 owing to what the group described as “violation of party’s constitution and anti-party activities.”
Their suspension was ratified by an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting chaired by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
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