By Tina Amanda
The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has scheduled August 21, 2024, to deliver its ruling on the authentic legal representation for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in a suit filed by the BOOT Party against Martin Amaewhule and twenty-five others.
The BOOT Party members filed the suit to challenge the eligibility of Martin Amaewhule and the other defendants to remain members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the PDP following their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
At the resumed hearing of the suit on Wednesday, the national legal adviser of PDP, Kamaldeen Ajibade, a senior advocate of Nigeria SAN, in an application moved before the court which is seeking to resolve the issue of legal representation of the party in the matter, asked the court to stop Joshua Musa, SAN who also announced his appearance for the PDP state legal adviser.
He also prayed the court to discontinue all processes filed by MUSA SAN on behalf of PDP.
Ajibade SAN told the court further that he is the sole representative of the party in the suit and referred the court to an affidavit of joinder presented by mr MUSA, especially with reference to paragraph 2 where the deponent, one Kingsley Chukwu affirmed that he obtained the instructions from the national to join in the matter.
The PDP national legal adviser however argued that the two judgments from a federal high court as presented by MUSA never deprived the National Legal Adviser of the sole right to oversee the legal affairs of the PDP but only touched on articles 42 of the party constitution and urged the court not to recognize the appearance of MUSA as engaged by the state legal adviser.
Joshua Musa, SAN, in his reply on point of law, urged the court to discountenance every submission made by the National legal adviser of PDP, Kamaldeen Ajibade, relying his argument on paragraph 2 of his affidavit in support of the joinder.
He argued that the exhibits presented by the national legal adviser of PDP,1&2 were not signed documents and are valueless, describing them as corporate documents, and urged the court not to recognize the national legal adviser of PDP to represent the party in the suit.
In his ruling, the Presiding judge, Justice E.O Obele after listening to counsels representing the parties adjourned to 21 August 2024 to rule on the rightful person to represent the PDP in the suit and for mentioned in the substantive suit.
In an interview with our Correspondent, the National Adviser of PDP, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN said the law is clear on who to represent a political matter on legal issues and insisted that the national leadership of PDP is aware Martin Amaewhule and 25 others have defected, hence have lost their seat.
Our correspondent reports that the court also adjourned to 21 August 2024, to hear the suit filed by members of the Civil Society Organization in Rivers State against the state governor, and Martin Amaewhule and his group.
