PDP Primaries: Late Service Of Court Papers Holds Hearing
The hearing in a complaint seeking to halt the People’s Democratic Party’s planned May 28 presidential election primary was extended to May 10 by Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
The judgement was reached after the plaintiff’s counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), complained that an affidavit from the PDP demonstrating cause why the primary should not be stopped was served on him late on Wednesday.
Despite the fact that the case was set to be heard on Thursday, Erokoro told Justice Okorowo that he needed more time to respond to the PDP’s arguments against his client’s complaint.
He begged the Judge to grant him a postponement so that he could get his house in order.
The PDP’s lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN), did not oppose to the adjournment request.
Following that, Justice Okorowo rescheduled the hearing for May 10 and ordered the parties to file and exchange their processes ahead of time.
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Cosmas Ndukwe, a presidential candidate and former Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, filed an ex-parte application for an order of injunction on April 28 to prevent the PDP from holding its scheduled primary election pending the hearing and determination of his suit challenging the party’s position on the issue of zoning the party’s presidential ticket.
In the complaint marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/508/2022, the PDP, its national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission were identified as the first to fourth defendants, respectively.
Rather than accepting Ndukwe’s motion, the Judge directed the PDP to appear before the court on May 5 and show cause why the court should not approve the plaintiff’s request.
During Thursday’s hearings, Erokoro represented Ndukwe, PDP’s Mahmud Magaji (SAN), Anyanwu’s Kalu Agu, and INEC’s Abdulahi Badmos.
