(http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/thumbnail.php?file=ONI_334628865.jpg&size=article_medium) Segun Oni A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday voided the [/size]recently conducted South West zonal congress of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
[/size]The congress produced former Ekiti State governor, Segun Oni, as the party’s National Vice Chairman (South West).Justice Okon Abang, in a ruling, set aside the said congress on the grounds that it was held in violation of a subsisting order of court, directing parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the suit instituted by the Dayo Soremi-led faction of the party in Ogun State.The judge observed that despite that the party’s former National Vice Chairman, South West, Alhaji Tajudeen OLadipo’s lawyer, Waheed Lawal, undertook to ensure that his client take no further steps in respect of the issues raised by the plaintiff, Oladipo proceeded to conduct the congress and put the plaintiffs in a position of disadvantage.Justice Abang deprecated Oladipo for conducting the congress despite the court order, describing him as an individual without respect for the due process of law and the rule of law. He held that his action was meant to foist on the court a state of helplessness by taking a short cut “which now amounts to a nullity.”“Any responsible citizen of this country, no matter his position, ought to respect the court’s order particularly when processes and such orders are served on them. They should allow the court to decide the case one way or the other.“I will not allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to act in a manner that challenges the majesty of the court and likely to bring the court to disrepute or odium. The conduct of the zonal congress by Alhaji Tajudeen, despite a subsisting court order, is mischievous,” the court held.Justice Abang described the action of the party leaders in the South West as “reckless, disgraceful and high-handed”, noting that “it signposts their disdain for the observance of the rule of law.”“Disobedience to court orders is an endemic disease that has eaten deep into the fabric of this country. A court must enforce the law in a manner that will ensure the attainment of social reengineering,” the court held.Justiec Abang said but for the fact that the plaintiffs had not filed committal applications against the defendants, he would have shown them some lessons that “court orders are meant to be obeyed.”Justice Abang, aside voiding the congress, also set aside the list of delegates sent to the party’s headquarters by the Ogun chapter and the nullification of the nomination of Tunji Akinosi, Segun Sowunmi and Pegba Otemolu as delegates from Ogun chapter.The court also gave an interim injunction restraining the PDP by its national organs – National Working Committee, National Executive Committee, its South West zonal organs and their officials from taking any disciplinary actions against them in respect of purported queries for Chief Soremi, the Chairman of the party’s Harmonised Executive in the state and others, including Prince Buruji Kashamu, pending the determination of the substantive suit.It also restrained the party, its organs and officers from taking disciplinary actions against the plaintiffs and their supporters in respect of the congresses they conducted in the state pursuant to the judgment by Justice Charles Achibong on January 27 this year.Justice Abang also compelled the PDP by its organs and officers to “accept, recognize and utilize the results of the congresses conducted at ward, local government and state levels of the party under the leadership of the applicants.” The court further ordered the party to accord the officers elected from the said congress all necessary recognition and facilities recognized in the party’s constitution.The court discountenanced the argument by defendants’ lawyer, Chief A. O. Ajana, that the party’s former Zonal Legal Adviser, Waheed Lawal, who represented Oladipo in the case was not briefed. Justice Abang held that it was not the duty of the court to enquire whether or not a lawyer representing a party has such party’s mandate. The judge also held that it was not the law that a lawyer must first file a memorandum of appearance before he is accorded audience in court as against the argument by Ajana.The court’s ruling was on an application by members of the Harmonised Executive of the PDP in Ogun State represented by Dayo Soremi, Engr Bayo Dayo and Hon Taiwo Abisekan. Named as defendants are the PDP, former Acting National Chairman, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Tajudeen Oladipo, Uche Secondus, Olusola Oke and Prof Rufia Alkali.Soremi and others had sued, challenging the legitimacy of queries for Soremi and the Secretary to the Harmonised Committee, Pegba Otemolu, by Oladipo, on the bases of which they were threatened with disciplinary measures.They also queried the legitimacy of a published directive purportedly made by Alkali, barring the party from conducting congresses in the state, allegedly cancelling those earlier conducted and threatening disciplinary measures against anyone who disobeyed the said directive.Justice Abang adjourned to May 2 at 12 noon for the hearing of the defendants’ notice of preliminary objection and the substantive suit which particularly seeks to enforce the judgment by Justice Achibong to the effect that the Soremi-led Executive represents the party’s authentic leadership in the state.
TheNation