Sequel to the dismissal of the case filed at a Lagos High Court by the leadership of the new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the splinter group of the ruling party has appealed to its members to remain calm, saying ‘no cause for alarm’.
An Ikeja, Lagos State High Court on Thursday dismissed the suit filed by Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led faction of the PDP against the Bamanga Tukur faction for want of jurisdiction.
Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, of Ikeja High Court, Lagos had on Thursday held that the Court had no power to assume jurisdiction over a matter, which originated outside its territory.
The Judge based her ruling on the fact that the applicants had averred in their affidavit that the cause of action was the Special National Convention of the PDP held on August 30 in Abuja, and that that none of the defendants was resident in Lagos State.
“I hold that with the defendants not resident in Lagos and the subject matter originating in Abuja, the High Court of Lagos State has no power to assume jurisdiction over this suit.
“I accordingly make an order striking out the suit.”
The national Chairman of the new PDP, Abubakar Baraje, Dr. Sam Jaja and a former Governor of Osun state, Olagunsoye Oyinlola filed the suit on September 1, urging the court to restrain Tukur, Uche Secondus, Deputy National Chairman; Kema Chikwe, Woman Leader; and Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary, from parading themselves as PDP National Executive Committee members.
A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretray, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze redas, “The Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has noted the ruling by a Lagos High Court presided over by Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, who today threw out the suit we instituted against the illegal party regime of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and his National Working Committee (NWC).
“We wish to assure our teeming members and Nigerians in general that there is no cause to worry. This is because the ruling has nothing to do with the merit of the case but the place of filing. As advised by His Lordship, we shall hasten to re-file the suit, this time in Abuja, as we are convinced about the merit of our case. Our determination to sack the usurper, Alhaji Tukur, and rescue our great party from his misrule has never been stronger.
Finally, we urge all our supporters and members not to despair or exercise any atom of fear and should continue to support the leadership of our great party under the able leadership of Alh Abubakar kawu Baraje as we are getting closer to freeing our party from the enclave of undemocratic elements currently holding us to ransom and doing everything within their powers to ruin all that our founding fathers struggled to build.
“With today’s court ruling, we are now very determined to restore PDP to the path of honour particularly now that we have lost our great first National Chairman, Dr Solomon Lar to the cold hands of death. Let us reiterate that nothing and we repeat nothing will stop us from implementing the visions of both Dr Solomon Lar and all the founding fathers of our great party to the letter and keeping all undemocratic elements at bar from leadership of our great party.
