The court of appeal in Abuja has nullified an order barring Uche Secondus, a former national chair of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Celestine Omehia, a former governor of Rivers, from attending meetings of the opposition party.
Another beneficiary of the verdict is Austin Opara, a former deputy speaker of the house of representatives, who was also barred from attending PDP meetings.
In April, the federal high court barred the aforementioned following an application by Titus Jones, a PDP member from Rivers.
The defendants had applied for a stay of execution of the ruling pending a motion filed at the appellate court, but the trial court dismissed it.
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However, at the appeal court on Friday, a three-member panel of judges upheld the appeals filed by the defendants.
The court held that only the political party can determine who could attend its meeting or participate in any of its activities.
While voiding the order of the lower court, it said the matter was an internal affair and beyond the jurisdiction of the court.
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