For allegedly refusing to stop parading themselves as interim national officers of the New Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, a federal high court sitting in Abuja may send Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Sam Jaja and Olagunsoye Onyinlola to Kuje Prison over contempt of court.
Reprieve came to the embattled national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bamanga Tukur as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered parties in the dispute to maintain status quo ante belleum pending the determination of the suit filed by
Tukur.
Nigerian pilot checks reveals that despite the court order the former vice president Atiku Abubakar New PDP splinter group are still parading themselves as the authentic Exco of the party.
Specifically Tukur had through his Counsel Tochukwu Onwubufor, SAN, dragged the Abubakar Baraje led splinter group before the Court asking the court to restrain him and his Executive Committee Members from parading themselves as the National Executives of the party.
Cited as respondents alongside Baraje in the suit are INEC, Sam Jaja, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
When the application was moved,the court presided over by judge,Justice Elvis Chukwu ordered that the respondents be put on notice and that the notice should be served through substituted means.
According to him,”although I am not afraid of granting an ex parte application especially when it is obvious of causing anarchy, however,I owe a duty to maintain a balance. What I want to do is order that the respondents are put on notice”.
The court also ordered that parties should maintain status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the suit.
Justice Chukwu consequently fixed September 12 for the hearing of the motion on notice.
Nigerian Pilot recalled that the PDP splinter group led by Baraje had accused the Tukur faction of the party of contempt of court for issuing a threat to punish all party members who were against his (Tukur’s) leadership of the party.
National Secretary of the splinter group otherwise known as ‘New PDP’, OlagunsoyeOyinlola, had in a statement in Abuja on Thursday said the comment made by Tukur at a press conference on Wednesday was contemptuous because a Lagos High Court had earlier ordered all parties to maintain status quo pending when the issue before it will be finally decided.
Therefore, Oyinlola said lawyers have been briefed to press a contempt charge against Tukur for flouting the orders of the court.
Tukur himself fired back, though, describing leaders of the group, including former Vice President AtikuAbubakar, seven PDP Governors, Baraje, Oyinlola, and National Assembly members as “prodigal sons and daughters.”
However, Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Tony Anenih, has interceded in the crossfire between the two groups, calling for caution.
Anenih warned them that further inflammatory statements can aggravate the issues at stake.
In a statement entitled: ‘A Call for Caution’, issued in Abuja on Thursday, Anenih said making preemptive statements amid reconciliation process was disrespectful to President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP leadership at whose instance the reconciliation efforts are being made.
According to Anenih, the unfolding scenario in the PDP is a “minor crisis” which should not take time to resolve.
By Kenneth Atavti