Court rules on PDP national convention March 4

Lanre Adewole, Abuja - 29.02.2008

An Abuja High Court on Thursday fixed March 4 for ruling on the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following a motion filed against the party and its key officials.

The motion, filed by Mr. Abdullahi Maibirgi and two others, was based on the ground that due process was not followed in the planning of the convention.

The party had planned to hold its national convention on March 8.

The motion, however, faulted the plan on the ground that it was only the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) that had the constitutional right to convene a national convention and not the National Working Committee (NWC).

When the matter came up for mention, neither the defendants nor their counsel was present in the court.

Mr. Festus Keyamo, applicant’s counsel, had told the court that the respondents were not duly served as it was not easy to serve each of them.

He, therefore, prayed the court to allow a substituted service as it would be easier to serve them through the party’s national secretariat.

Keyamo also prayed the court to grant an injunction to stop the convention since the matter was already before the court.

Justice Ishaku Bello, in his ruling, ordered that the defendants be served through the PDP national secretariat since it was a contact point for them.

He adjourned the case to March 4 to allow for service and ordered the parties to be present in court to enable them guide the court on its decision.