An Abia State High Court in the Bende Judicial Division has reiterated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is still bound by a previous order that restrains it from conducting State, Local Government, and Ward congresses in Abia State. This confirmation comes just hours before the party’s rescheduled State Congress set for Saturday, October 26.
The court’s order, dated October 25, is in connection with a suit marked HB/3/2024, filed by claimants Francis Etuzu, Chidindu Kalu Kalu, and Enyinnaya Ogbu. Justice C. U. Okoroafor presided over the case and further ordered that contempt proceedings be initiated against key PDP officials, including Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s National Secretary; Alwell Asiforo Okere, the Caretaker Committee Chairman for Abia; and Kenneth Madubuike, the Caretaker Committee Secretary.
The court specified that the claimants are permitted to serve Forms 48, 49, and other processes regarding the contempt proceedings to the aforementioned defendants. This can be done by delivering the documents to any adult present at the PDP Abia Secretariat or by pasting them at the secretariat’s location. Electronic means of service via the party’s personal WhatsApp numbers are also allowed.
The order also reminded all parties involved that the prior ruling made on July 23, 2024, barring the PDP from holding its ward congress on July 27, remains in effect until the substantive matter is resolved. The court had additionally prohibited the extension of the tenure of the Okere-led State Working Committee (SWC) of the party.