PDP disowns case in Rivers Appeal Court

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has distanced itself from an appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, made the clarification in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Ologunagba said that party’s attention was drawn to s SUIT No: PHC/2177/CS/2024 wherein the PDP was reportedly listed as appellant.

He said that the purported appeal was never authorised or instituted by the party.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, has ascertained that the party did not file the said appeal neither did it authorize any external solicitor to file same on its behalf.

“As such, the PDP cannot be listed as appellant in the appeal.

“The PDP states categorically that it did not file the said appeal at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division challenging the Order of the Rivers State High Court.

“The party restraining the Chief Judge of Rivers State and the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly from receiving or acting on any resolutions from certain individuals pending the determination of a case before it,” he said.

Ologunagba said that only the PDP national legal adviser had the exclusive responsibility of conducting the litigation, prosecution and defense of cases on behalf of the party.

He added that only the national legal adviser also had the exclusive power to do that on behalf of the party’s organs, chapters and officials as expressly provided for in Section 42 of the PDP’s Constitution (as amended in 2017).

“Our Party had in a Public Notice published on Jan. 17, 2023 notified the public that nobody, authority, office or organ other than the national legal adviser has the competence to file or engage external solicitors to file or handle cases on behalf of the party.

“The engagement must also be in writing under the hand of the national legal adviser specifying amongst other things, the nature of the case and other terms and conditions of the engagement.

“The PDP therefore dissociates itself from the purported appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division in connection with Suit No: PHC/2177/CS/2024,” Ologunagba said.