A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Okon Abang, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission,( INEC), to only recognise candidates in Edo and Ondo states endorsed by the Ali Modu Sheriff-led National Working Committee, (NWC).
The interim order was delivered yesterday following a motion on notice for interlocutory orders filed by the plaintiffs who are also governorship aspirants of the PDP in Edo and Ondo states – Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma (Edo) and Chief Benson Akingboye (Ondo) .
The PDP in Edo State has, however, pledged to discharge the interim injunction on Monday upon the claim that the suit was filed in bad faith, alleging that Sheriff-led faction failed in serving INEC with the 21 day notice required to conduct a governorship primary.
Earlier in the course of hearing the motion, two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Emmanuel Ukala and Olagoke Fakunle, had disagreements regarding who should represent the PDP.
Whereas Ukala maintained that he was duly briefed by the Markafi led faction of the party, Fakunle on the other hand, said he was briefed by the Sheriff-led faction.
The dispute was however resolved by the presiding judge, who noted that while a Federal High Court in Lagos, in two separate orders on May 12 and May 20, recognised the leadership of Sheriff and restrained parties from proceeding with the party’s national convention in Port Harcourt, the Markafi leadership of the PDP emerged from a convention against which there was a pending order.
Stating further that there was an element of doubt about the legality of the convention from which Markafi-led Caretaker Committee emerged.
Consequently, the court said it was minded to only recognise Fakunle who was briefed by the Sheriff-led faction of the party.
