Court fixes May 10 to hear suit seeking to halt PDP presidential primary

A  federal high court in Abuja has fixed May 10 to hear a motion seeking to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary. 

Cosmas Ndukwe, a former deputy speaker of Abia state house of assembly, had on April 28, asked the court to stop the primary over the non-zoning of the party’s ticket to the south-east.

Ndukwe joined Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the PDP; Samuel Anyanwu, PDP national secretary; and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as co-defendants in the motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/508/2022.

Donatus Okorowo, the judge, had fixed May 5 to hear the ex parte motion.

But on Thursday, when the motion was heard, Paul Erokoro, Ndukwe’s counsel, told the court that he had only just received the PDP’s affidavit stating reasons why the primary election should proceed as planned.

Erokoro asked the judge to adjourn the case to allow him to study the document and respond accordingly.

Mahmud Magaji, counsel to PDP, did not object to the adjournment request.

Following that, the judge fixed May 10 to hear the motion.

The PDP presidential primary is scheduled to take place on May 28.