JUST-IN: A/Court vacates orders barring Secondus, Omehia, Opara from PDP’s meetings

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has set aside the orders by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja barring three chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from further attending any meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) or participating in deliberations or proceedings of the meetings in any manner.

The PDP chieftains are the party’s former National Chairman, Uche Secondus; sacked Rivers Governor, Celestine Omehia and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Austin Opara.

In three separate judgements on Friday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal unanimously upheld the appeals filed by Secondus, Omehia and Opera for being meritorious.

The appellate court held that the issue of whether members of a party should attend the party’s meetings or participate in any of its activities are issues to be determined by the political party.

The court was of the view that issues relating to whether or not members of a political party attend the party’s meetings being internal affairs of the party, are not justiciable and on which the court lacked jurisdiction.

It held that the Federal High Court ought not to have entertained the cases because it lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine the suits dealing with issues within the realm of the internal affairs of the political party.

The Court of Appeal proceeded to declare null and void the proceedings conducted in the three cases before the Federal High Court, voided same, including the restraining orders made ex-parte made by Justice Ekwo on April 5.