The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr Sunday Udeh-Okoye, on Monday, sought to be joined in a suit filed by Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled National Secretary of the party, against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Anyanwu had, on Feb. 19 in the fresh suit, sued INEC and the PDP’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged plan to remove him as party’s national secretary.
Justice Ekwo had, in a ruling on Anyanwu’s motion ex-parte moved by his lawyer, Ken Njemanze, SAN, declined to grant the prayers but rather, ordered him to put the defendants on notice to show cause in the next adjourned date why his prayers should not be granted.
The judge then adjourned until Feb. 24 for defendants to show cause.
When the matter was called on Monday, Njemanze informed the court that the matter was slated for the defendants to show cause.
He further told the court that INEC and Damagun, who are 1st and 2nd defendants, had been duly served with the court processes in compliance with order or court.
Although INEC was represented by Ahmed Mohammed, no lawyer appeared for Damagun.
Justice Ekwo then asked Mohammed if they had filed their response to Anyanwu’s suit and he said a counter affidavit was filed on Feb. 21.
The judge further asked Mohammed if the process he claimed they filed was to show cause why Anyanwu’s prayers should not be granted and he responded in the negative.
However, Paul Erokoro, SAN, and Paul-Harris Ogbole, SAN, announced appearance for parties seeking to be joined in the suit.
While Erokoro announced appearance for Udeh-Okoye, Ogbole represented PDP as parties seeking to be joined.
Both lawyers informed the court that their processes were equally filed and served on the plaintiff on Feb. 21.
Njemanze acknowledged the receipt of all the processes from INEC and parties seeking to be joined.
The lawyer, however, said they were still within time to respond to all the applications.
Speaking, Erokoro said presently, there was an application at the Supreme Court seeking for a stay of execution.
When Erokoro was trying to make further submission on the instant suit before the court, Justice Ekwo said: “We have not gotten there.”
The judge said it was the more reason the prayers of the parties seeking to be joined ought to be granted as quickly as possible in order to decide the case once and for all.
Justuce Ekwo then read out parts of the order made in the last adjourned date to INEC lawyer for him to do the needful.
“INEC, you have not shown any cause today. Have you seen those prayers, you will not do anything contrary to those prayers until further order of this court,” he said.
The judge then ordered all the parties to file their necessary applications and their responses, including the PDP and Udeh-Okoye before the next adjourned date
Justice Ekwo, who ordered INEC and Damagun not to take any step against the plaintiff’s prayers on the motion ex-parte until further order of the court, adjourned the matter until Feb. 28 for hearing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Anyanwu, in the ex-parte motion: marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025 dated and filed on Feb. 13 by Njemanze, had sought two prayers.
He sought an order of interim injunction, restraining INEC from accepting, acting on or giving effect to any correspondence, letter, document, mail, notice, form and or written submission purported to emanate from the PDP not signed by him pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
He also sought an order of interim injunction restraining Damagun from dispatching to INEC any correspondence purportedly emanating from PDP signed by the acting chair and not counter signed by him, pending the hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction filed simultaneously with this motion ex-parte.
Anyanwu, in the affidavit in support of the motion, said he was the party’s national secretary.
He said he was duly elected as the national secretary at the PDP’s National Convention held on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, 2021 in Abuja.
However, in a motion on notice date and filed on Feb. 21 by Erokoro, Udeh-Okoye prayed the court for an order adding him as a defendant in the suit.
In a 17-ground arguments, Erokoro said Udeh-Okoye is the substantive National Secretary of the PDP.
He said the chairman, PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), by a special commendation, on behalf of himself and members of all the BoT, commended the NWC of the party for its display of courage, respect for the rule of law and the constitution of the party in affirming Udeh-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary.
He said the BoT, by the special commendation, urged all organs, leaders, critical stakeholders, and the teeming members of the party to continue reaffirming the party’s unity.
Besides, Erokoro said by a press release dated Feb. 12, the national publicity secretary of the party confirmed the recognition of Udeh-Okoye by the NWC as the National Secretary of the party, among other arguments.
Also in a motion on notice dated and filed on Feb. 12 by Ogbole, PDP sought an order joining the party as defendant.
The party also sought an order directing the parties or plaintiff to make amendment on the processes to reflect the name of PDP as defendant on all the processes in the suit.
It equally sought an order directing the parties or plaintiff to serve PDP all the processes in the suit.
In the application, Ogbole and aligned with the submission of Erokoro. (NAN)
