Plot by the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to secure a Court order to derecognise the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee in the State has been described as an exercise in futility, owing to a pending order of a Federal High Court, Abuja, against dissolution of the Caretaker Committee.
In a statement on Thursday, Rivers State Legal Adviser of the PDP, Barrister Kingsley Chuku, called the attention of the public to what he described as “flagrant disobedience of the Order of the Federal High Court, a court of competent jurisdiction and the high handedness of the Government of Rivers State, who has constituted itself as being bigger than the order of court in violation of a subsisting order of the Federal High Court, with the aim to dissolve the Caretaker Committees of PDP in the State, which issue is subjudice in FHC/ABJ/CS/461/2024.”
The statement read; “Our attention has been drawn to the statement credited to His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, wherein he referred to the PDP Caretaker Committee members list in Rivers State as being fake and has continued to boast of securing Orders from the Courts in Rivers State to derecognize the said PDP Caretaker Committee members.
“Where this kind of order is obtained, it will ridicule the courts and bring the sanctity of the Judiciary to disrepute.
“You would recall that on the 12th day of April, 2024, Hon Aaron Chukwuemeka, acting for himself and representing all the members of the Caretaker Committees at the Wardl Local Government Areas and State Executive Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) filed suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/461/2024: HON AARON CHUKUWEMEKA VS. PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), & 6 ORS, wherein he sought amongst other reliefs a declaration that pursuant to the provisions of Article 29 (2) (b), 31(2)(e) of the Constitution of the Peoples
Democratic Party (as amended in 2017) and the letter dated 27th March 2024, titled “Approval of Wards, Local Government Area and State Caretaker Committee of the 319 Wards, 23 Local Government Areas and State Chapters of the PDP in Rivers State”, attached to the said letter of 27th March 2024 is the authentic list of the Caretaker Committees of the PDP in Rivers State.
“The said suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/461/ 2024 was necessitated by the calls from some quarters alleging that the list of Caretaker Members for PDP Rivers State was fake and there were clandestine meetings aimed at destabilizing the Caretaker Committees at various levels.
That Hon. Justice M. O. Olajuwon, on the 16th day of April 2024, made an Order for the parties in the suit to maintain status quo, so as not to foist fait accompli on the court.
“While suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/461/2024 is still pending at the Federal High Court and the order of the court made on the 16th day of April, 2024 by Hon Justice M. O. Olajuwon for parties to maintain status quo, yet, the Governor has continued to threaten and boast of the order he will secure to derecognize the said Caretaker members, which is properly constituted as well as stall the Party Congress scheduled to hold on the 27th day of July, 2024, for no just cause.
“The attention of the public is drawn to the flagrant disobedience of the Order of the Federal High Court, a court of competent jurisdiction and the high handedness of the Government of Rivers State, who has constituted itself as being bigger than the order of court in violation of a subsisting order of the Federal High Court, with the aim to dissolve the Caretaker Committees of PDP in the State, which issue is subjudice in FHC/ABJ/CS/461/2024.”
