Justice Ladiran Akintola of an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, on Wednesday extended its interim order restraining any interference with the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party as scheduled to hold in Ibadan on Saturday, till Friday when the case comes up for further hearing.
In his ruling, he ordered that interim order on the ex-parte motion filed by the Claimant/Applicant would continue to subsist pending the determination of the pending suit.
The claimant/ Applicant has sought the order of the court restraining the defendants: Acting National Chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum; the Governor of Adamawa State, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (for himself and members of the National Convention Organising Committee); and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or their agents, from truncating or frustrating the conduct of the party’s scheduled national convention.
Also, ruling on the application for joinders filed by the other party on the same issue, the Judge said such application could not be accepted on the ground that it was not signed by the deponent.
But the lead counsel to the defendant, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, had in his argument said that the case of authorship lacked value since the author or deponent is well known. He submitted that it was not a total absence of signature. The Judge however said the application could be refilled.
Meanwhile, the lead counsel, Mr. Musibau Adetunmbi, (SAN) said, “We are about to take the application for joinder and the Court discovered that the affidavit was not signed. However, they have indicated interest to file another one. On the interim Injunction, the order will continue to subsist as ordered by the Court.
The Court also directed the PDP leadership to adhere strictly to the guidelines, timetable, and schedule of activities earlier released for the convention.
