Court asserts jurisdiction over Amaechi’s suit

[Mirror]

Despite spirited efforts by counsels to the People Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has ruled that it has jurisdiction to entertain a suit filed by the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, challenging his suspension from the party.

Presiding judge; Justice Emmanuel Ogbuji, adjourned the case till July 8, 2013, for the commencement of hearing on the matter.

The National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP had on Monday, May 27, 2013 suspended Amaechi over his refusal to reverse the decision of the Rivers State House of Assembly to suspend the Obio/Akpor Local Government Council.

The ruling by Justice Ogbuji followed two different motions filed by Mr. Donald Den Wigwe, and Mr. Emmanuel Okala, counsels to the PDP and its state Chairman, Hon. Felix Amaechi Obuah, respectively, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.

Both counsel said whenever an issue of jurisdiction has been raised by respondent/applicants; the court must first determine it before entertaining any other issue before it.

Reacting to the request by the counsel to Amaechi, Mr. Adeboye Adebogun, who had prayed that the court entertain his motion for interlocutory injunction, that he had served respondents on time and that respondents were summoned to reply to his motion and not to come up with a matter of jurisdiction, which he said was served him just the previous day, the presiding judge ordered that since there are processes before the court, it is right that both parties must respect the status quo pending the determination of the motion on notice before the court.

National Mirror