Akwa Ibom 2023 Guber: Court adjourns case against PDP Adhoc delegates congress to June 14
Attempt by embattled Senator Bassey Albert (OBA), to nullify the April 30, 2022 Akwa Ibom PDP Ad-Hoc delegates congress in the 329 wards in the State he boycotted, suffered yet another setback as the Federal High Court, Abuja Division on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, adjourned till June 14, 2022 for ruling on all applications.
Before Wednesdays sitting, parties to the suit had filed all their processes, including preliminary objections by the defendants as well as Counter Affidavit opposing the Originating Summons filed by the Plaintiffs.
At the resumed hearing of the case between FRIDAY IWOK & ORS V. INEC & 330 ORS, while Ahmed Raji announced appearance for Plaintiff, Abdulaziz Yari represented INEC, Paul Usoro SAN, Atoyebi SAN stood in for the PDP while former Akwa Ibom State Attorney General, Nwoko SAN, and Immediate Past PDP National Legal Adviser, Barr Emmanuel Enoidem stood in for the Ad hoc delegates.
When the case was called on Wednesday, Counsel to Friday Iwok and ors, Mr Ahmed Raji, SAN, appealed for additional time to study the additional preliminary objections raised by the 2nd, 3rd to 331st defendants. He prayed the court to rather examine pending motions while giving him time to study the objections raised.
Ahmed SAN pleaded the Court that he needs time to study the two processes in the interest of justice to know what to say and how to act. “In the circumstances, it is my prayer that all pending motions be taken so that today will not be a waste”, he prayed.
He observed that the 3rd to 331 defendants served the plaintiffs a further affidavit in opposition to the originating summons, and pleaded for time to study the two processes in the interest of justice. “In the circumstances, it is my prayer that all pending motions be taken so that today will not be a waste”, be pleaded.
On his part, Counsel to PDP, Paul Usoro SAN, argued that unless the issue of jurisdiction is ironed out, the court cannot go ahead without dealing with the preliminary objection on jurisdiction
The court rules that he will take all pending motions and the preliminary objection on jurisdiction together.
After hearing all arguments, the presiding Judge, Hon Justice Obiora Egwatu, ruled to take all pending motions and the preliminary objection raised on its jurisdiction together and adjourned the case to Tuesday, June 14, 2022, by 2pm for hearing of all applications.
