The breakaway faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chaired by Alhaji Abdullahi Kawu Baraje has filed a case before Justice Safari of the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja Division, seeking to restrain Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Prince Uche Secondus, Mrs. Kema Chikwe, Olisah Metuh and others from parading themselves as members of the National Executive of the People’s Democratic Party.
In addition, the Plaintiffs — Alhaji Abdullahi Kawu Baraje, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and the PDP — are seeking a motion ex parte asking for leave to serve the defendants (Bamanga Tukur, purported chairman; Uche Secondus, purported Deputy Chairman; Kema Chikwe, purported woman leader and Olisah Metuh, purported Publicity Secretary) outside jurisdiction.
In its ruling, the court granted the plaintiffs leave to serve the defendants in their various locations. However, on the subject of their illegality as members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, the court said that there is no urgency concerning who should hold the offices, and therefore directed the maintenance of the status quo pending 9th September 2013, when all parties are expected to return to argue the motion on notice.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the last person who should be spearheading the party’s factionalisation due to his indebtedness to the party. He said Atiku should be grateful to the party for reabsorbing him and giving him waiver to contest the 2011 presidential primaries.
“Atiku is expected to protect the party at all times. I was surprised because he is supposed to know more than another person that there is no party like PDP, “Gulak told State House Correspondents in Abuja on Monday.
“He left PDP and went to the Action Congress of Nigeria and he came back to PDP, because he discovered that outside PDP there is no party.
“So he had to come back and he was even given the waiver to contest the presidential primaries in 2011. Atiku should be grateful to PDP. Atiku is indebted to PDP and the best way to continue to pay the debt is to protect PDP.”
Responding to Gulak`s statement, Atiku who spoke through his media aide, Garba Shehu, said, “in truth Atiku does not dispute his indebtedness to the PDP; however he feels that the best way to continue to pay that debt is to protect PDP.”
“That is exactly what I am doing: Protecting the PDP,”
