Court dismisses suit against Plateau PDP gov primaries DECEMBER 5, 2014 BY JUDE OWUAMANAM, JOS Leave a Comment A Federal High Court, sitting in Jos, Plateau State, has struck out a suit filed by nine members of the Peoples Democratic Party against the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, seeking an injunction to restrain the party from jettisoning zoning and power rotation in the state party. Specifically, the plaintiffs are seeking an order to restrain the party from violating or undermining the principle of power shift and power sharing as the policy of rotation and zoning of public offices as enshrined in the PDP constitution in relation to the governorship election in Plateau State. Justice Ambrose Alagoa, in a judgment on Friday, said the suit was not justiceable as the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to institute the case since they had not established any cause of action. Moreover Alagoa held that though he did not go into the merits of the case, but since the act complained of had not been carried out, the suit was at best in the realm of speculation, adding that the plaintiffs must show sufficient cause to seek redress. Alagoa said all permutations were mere assertions as the PDP had not presented anybody to INEC as their candidate for the 2015 governorship election. He added that the plaintiffs had not established any wrong made against them as the party had not announced their candidate for the election. Counsel for the plaintiffs, Pius Akubo SAN, said there was cause for another day since the suit was merely struck out, adding that he would liaise with his clients for the next line of action. Counsel for the PDP, Sunday Oyawole, holding brief for Sunday Odey, said the plaintiffs had failed in their quest to stop the PDP governorship primary election scheduled to hold on Monday. The plaintiffs, Messrs Matthew Datong, Barnabas Rintar, Gurumdiye Depak, Eric Guimwai and five others, had also sought for an order restraining the PDP from processing the forms submitted by governorship candidates in respect of Plateau State and interviewing and screening the forms submitted by the aspirants to the office of the governor.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 11:09:38 +0000
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