BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja
The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, Friday, issued an order, restraining the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from sacking some members of its National Working Committee, NWC, pending the determination of a suit before the court.
Justice Adamu Bello gave the order yesterday following an application that was entered before him by PDP lawyer Ajibola Oluyede, who sought for an order directing all the parties in the case to maintain status quo until the court decides on issued raised in an originating summons that was filed by the ruling party.
While granting the application, Justice Bello, noted that ordinarily, parties were bound by the doctrine of lis pendens to refrain from tampering with the res (subject of dispute) in a case before a court, but that in Nigeria it was not always the case.
Thus, he fixed May 23 to hear the originating summons on its merit.
Consequently, in view of the court’s order, the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, being the only parties in the case, are to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
PDP had filed the suit with number: FHC/ABJ/CS/217/2013, against INEC.
The plaintiff specifically wants the court to determine whether, one year after the party’s last national convention was concluded, anyone could use INEC’s report on the convention, which complained about the procedure for election of some members of the party’s NWC, for any purpose.
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