An Ebonyi State High Court, sitting in Abakaliki, on Thursday, restrained the members of the newly sworn-in State Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, from parading themselves as such in the state.
This followed an ex-parte brought by the Onyekachi Nwebonyi-led State Working Committee of the party, in Ebonyi State.
The PUNCH had reported that the substantive leadership of the PDP in Ebonyi State were dissolved by the National Working Committee of the party in Abuja a week ago, following the defection of Governor Dave Umahi to the All Progressives Congress.
The PDP National Working Committee subsequently announced and inaugurated a nine-member caretaker committee led by Fred Ụdogu, even as Nwebonyi and other members of the SWC sued the PDP (1st respondent) the National Chairman, Uche Secondus (2nd respondent), challenging the action of NWC.
Also joined in the suit as 3rd to 11th respondents were the nine members of the Caretaker Committee.
The plaintiffs represented by their Counsel, Roy Umahi, alledged wrongful dissolution of the SWC, claiming that they were not given fair hearing before the purported dissolution.
In the ex parte, the SWC members prayed the court to grant an order of interim injunction restraining the PDP from dissolving the SWC and from continuance of the purported dissolution or giving effect to the purported dissolution of the State Working Committee of the PDP at State, Local Government or Ward levels.
According to Umahi, “Neither the National Working Committee nor any other organ of the party has the power or authority to dissolve the Local Government and Ward executives of the party before the expiration of their tenures.”
In his ruling, the presiding Judge, Justice Elvis Ngele, granted all the prayers of the plaintiffs.
He adjourned the matter to December 2, 2020, for further hearing.
Reacting, Barr. Nwebonyi described the ruling as a landmark which would in turn end an era of impunity in the party.
“With the ruling, the State Working Committee led by me will continue to carry out its activities uninterrupted as the internal democracy of the party must be allowed to flourish,” Nwebonyi added.
punch
