In †ђξ news.... The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday prayed a Lagos High Court in Ikeja to commit leaders of the new PDP to prison for allegedly violating an order of Justice Ganiyu Safari of the same court. The application was filed by five top PDP leaders through their lawyer, Mr. Ajibola Oluyede. The applicants are PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the Deputy National Chairman, Uche Secondus, National Women Leader, Dr. Kema Chikwe and National Publicity, Olisah Metuh. The respondents, who the applicants are asking the court to jail, are Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Maode Hiliya, Timi Frank, Mrs. Binta Koje, Mallam Nasir Issa, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, Aliyu Wadada and Mallam Tanko Gomna. An application similar to this one in which PDP is urging the court to jail the alleged contemnors for “appointing” Oyinlola as “national secretary” after the court had nullified his nomination by the PDP South-West Zonal chapter, had earlier been filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja. In the new application, PDP is praying the Lagos court to jail Baraje, Jaja and Oyinlola for one year (or more, subject to the discretion of the court) for alleged criminal contempt which they committed “in their conspiracy and actions to flout the purpose and authority of the court”. The respondents were alleged to have obstructed the administration of justice by subverting the court’s processes and engaging in overt acts of defiance and violation of an order made on September 2. Safari had on that date ordered that “parties should maintain the status quo ante pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction”. The judge was said to have reaffirmed the order on Monday. The applicants contend in their court processes that the alleged contemnors opened a new office/ secretariat on September 4 and appointed themselves and the others into various offices constituting the PDP National Working Committee, NWC. They were alleged to have done this “for the purpose of rendering the said orders of this Honourable Court nugatory and of no effect”. A part of the applicants’ processes added that: “The plaintiffs (Baraje and others) instituted this action via a Writ of Summons dated 2nd September 2013 and also filed a motion ex parte for interim injunction. “On the 2nd of September 2013, this Honourable Court refused the prayer for interim injunction but rather made an order directing that ‘parties maintain the status quo ante, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.’ “The above order of this Honourable Court that parties maintain status quo was reaffirmed by this Honourable Court in the proceedings of 9th of September 2013. “Despite the said order of this Honourable Court directing parties to maintain status quo ante, the 1st to 3rd alleged contemnors rather than wait for the outcome of the judicial process to which they had submitted themselves and accord the requisite respect to the judiciary and due process of law, continued to parade themselves and to act as the chairman, deputy national chairman and secretary of the party, respectively.”
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 04:10:56 +0000
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