News Editor
By David Odama
A State High Court in Doma Nasarawa State on Thursday ordered that the notice in motion filed restraining the People’s Democratic party PDP from conducting its ward Congress of be served on the first, second and third respondents.
Recall that the plaintiffs had allegedly filled a motion against, PDP (first respondent), Mr Francis Orogu, PDP Nasarawa State Chairman (second respondent) and the State Working Committee of the party (third respondent) restraining the defendants from conducting ward congress of the party last Saturday.
Ruling on the motion after hearing from counsels to both the plaintiffs and the defendants, Justice Abdullahi Shams-Shammah adjoined the case to Tuesday next week and ordered that the summons be properly reserved on the defendants.
Earlier, counsel to the first respondent, Barr. Jacob Nzamanah informed the court that his client was not properly served but acknowledged that four notices regarding the ex-parte order were affixed to the walls of the office of his client.
He further argued that his client had not been served with the originating processes hence the court lacks jurisdiction to continue with the matter.
Also, counsel to the second and third respondents, Daniel Obande, told the court that his inability to file a memorandum for appearance was due to lack of service of court documents to his clients.
He requested the court to adjourn the case to allow them adequate time to respond when nad if served eventually.
On his part, counsel to the plaintiffs, Ishaka Mudi-Diko, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), called on the court to extend the restraining order.
The counsel to the plantiffs also informed the court that the respondents had gone ahead and conducted ward congresses in the state in violation of restraining order.
He then called on the court to nulify the ward congresses that were held by the respondents for violating its order.
The judge however ruled that the status quo remains which means that what the party had done remains, being the current status of elected ward officials.
It would be recalled that the court had on September 27, 2024 gave an exparte order following a motion filed by the plantiffs and 16 members of the party led by Sen. Mohammed Ogoshi-Onawo (PDP, Nasarawa South).
