The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has firmly denied any involvement in an appeal purportedly filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, concerning Suit No: PHC/2177/CS/2024. This suit challenges an order from the Rivers State High Court, which prevents the Chief Judge and Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly from acting on resolutions from defected state legislators.
In a statement issued on Sunday, National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba clarified that neither the party’s national legal adviser nor any authorized external solicitor filed the appeal. Ologunagba emphasized that the party’s National Legal Adviser, Barr. Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN, confirmed no such action was taken or authorized on behalf of the PDP.
The statement read, “The attention of the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a purported Appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division with respect to Suit No: PHC/2177/CS/2024 wherein the PDP is reportedly listed as Appellant.
For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP National Legal Adviser, Barr. Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN has ascertained that the Party did not file the said Appeal nor did it authorize any external solicitor to file the same on its behalf. As such, the PDP cannot be listed as Appellant in the Appeal.”
The PDP stated that the exclusive authority to handle litigation, prosecution, and defense of cases on behalf of the party lies solely with the National Legal Adviser, as stipulated in Section 42 of the PDP’s Constitution (amended in 2017).
The party had previously issued a public notice on January 17, 2023, to affirm that no individual, authority, office, or organ, other than the National Legal Adviser, has the competence to file or engage external solicitors for cases on behalf of the party. Any such engagement must be in writing, under the hand of the National Legal Adviser, specifying the nature of the case and other terms and conditions.
“The PDP therefore dissociates itself from the purported Appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division in connection with Suit No: PHC/2177/CS/2024,” the statement concluded.
In related developments, the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt dismissed two appeals by sacked Local Government Chairmen loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The appeals, CA/PH/137M/2024 and CA/PH/145M/2024, were filed by the former Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Enyiada Cookey-Gam, and six others, challenging the High Court’s decisions regarding the extension of their tenure.
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