A High Court in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has issued an order of interim injunction restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), its National Working Committee (NWC), National Executive Committee (NEC) or its national officers (elected or appointed) from expelling Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom from the party.
Justice A. I. Itoyonyiman issued the order yesterday, following a suit brought before the court on Wednesday.
Ortom was listed as plaintiff/applicant while the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were listed as first and second defendants/respondents.
Among the reliefs Ortom sought and obtained is an order restraining the PDP from expelling, suspending or placing any other punishment on him, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.
The court also restrained the PDP from seeking to disqualify the Benue State governor from contesting or not to be placed on the ballot paper for February 25 National Assembly election in which he is contesting for the Benue North West senatorial district on the platform of the party, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.
The court similarly granted an interim injunction restraining INEC from refusing, for whatever reason, to place Ortom’s name on the ballot, to contest the Benue North West senatorial election.
The matter has been slated for February 24 for hearing.
Ortom is a member of the G-5, a group of five governors working against the interest of the PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the February 25 poll, for violating the zoning principle of the party.
Leader of G-5 and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, had, a few weeks ago, also obtained a similar restraining order against the PDP and the INEC.
The Nation
