Court Adjourns Hearing On Plateau PDP Crisis

The suit filed by the Professor Dakum Shown-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state executive committee has been adjourned to August 28, 2009.

A Plateau State High Court presided over by Justice Mohammed Surafo, last Friday adjourned the suit for hearing on the application before the court.

Professor Shown had dragged the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP before a Jos High Court over the purported dissolution of his faction of the party in the state, by its national body over a petition by some aggrieved party members in his state.

Professor Shown in his suit alleged that the setting up of a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party in the state, while he had gone half way into his four-year tenure as stipulated by the Constitution of the party, is unconstitutional.

Owukari Akuyibo, counsel to the National chairman of PDP, Vincent Ogbulafor at the sitting last Friday, told the court that the national secretariat of the party and his cleient had not been properly served as directed by the court, and asked the court to set aside all processes until his client was properly served to enable them defend themselves.

“We only appeared before the court as a mark of respect for the court and the rule of law to protest and explain to the court that we did not see any invitation summoning us to appear before the court, because we have not been properly served,” he sated.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Lateef Fagbemi, however opposed the appearance of Maureen Ezieke to represent the national legal adviser of the PDP, Olusola Oke, on the ground that under the memorandum of appearance, Oke pledged to stand for himself.

He argued that Oke cannot change his position until he applied and changed his position that he had relaxed his position and introduce a counsel that will represent him.

The presiding judge in his ruling refused to accept Ezieke to represent the national legal adviser, who is the sixth respondent, and adjourned the hearing to August 28, 2009.