Court halts PDP from holding south-south zonal congress

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has issued an order halting the South-South zonal congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that was scheduled to take place in Calabar, Cross River State, on Saturday.

Justice G.V. Obomanu, who presided over the case, granted an interim injunction that prevents the congress from being held in Cross River or any other location in Nigeria.

The legal action was filed by Tony Ejiogu, a member of the PDP from Ward 3 in Etche Local Government Area, and Field Nkoro, the former Vice-Chairman of the Southeast PDP.

Named as defendants in the suit are the PDP and Chief Dan Orbih, National Vice-Chairman, Southsouth zone of the PDP.

The judge in a copy of the order he issued on Friday restrained the defendants, their agents and privies from conducting the PDP Southsouth zonal congress in Calabar, Cross River State, or anywhere else in Nigeria on February 22nd or any other date whatsoever pending the determination of the motion on notice.

The court ordered the parties to maintain the status quo ante litem as at February 20th pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The court granted the request of the claimants to serve the originating and other subsequent processes to be filed on the suit on the defendants by substituted means, pasting same at the gate of the first defendant (PDP) Southsouth zonal headquarters at Road 1, Plot 2A Presidential Housing Estate, New GRA, Port Harcourt or by publication in any widely read national newspaper.