Drama unfolded in the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal on Monday when the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Working Committee, NWC, applied to take over the cases brought by the state chapter of the party against opposition parties.
The PDP National Working Committee, in a letter, read aloud in court, asked Emmanuel Ukala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria hired by the Rivers chapter of the PDP, to allow another lawyer, Johnson Usman, to take over the appeal it filed against the Accord and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Similarly, the PDP National Working Committee asked Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, to refrain from further representation in an appeal by the Rivers chapter of the party against the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Assembly Candidates.
None of the lawyers in court argued against the PDP NWC’s decision.
Therefore, the three-man appeal panel led by Justice Joseph Ikyegh granted the request and adjourned the till 3rd of February 2023 following a request by the new PDP counsel.
Counsel to the Accord, Muhammad Abdullahi expressed the readiness of the party to meet the PDP in Court.
The new counsel of PDP, Johnson Usman confirmed that he has been instructed by the national legal Adviser of PDP to take over the appeals, which is the reason for applying for short, adjourned date.
It was believed that the development was another fallout of the standoff between Governor Nyesom Wike and National Leadership of PDP ahead of the forthcoming elections.
Wike has refused to support Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate over continued stay in office of Iyorcha Ayu as the chairman of PDP. The Rivers State Governor is leading five governors of PDP popularly known as G5 who had held back support for presidential ambition of Atiku over continued stay of Ayu in office.
Atiku and Ayu are from the Northern part of the country. But the G5 Governors want Ayu to step down from the chairmanship position for a Southerner in accordance with rotation principle of the party.