A Benue State High Court in Gboko has issued a temporary injunction preventing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its upcoming congress in six local government areas, scheduled for August 10, 2024.
News About Nigeria reports that the court order was signed by Justice J. M. Ayua, following a motion ex parte filed by the applicants, including Senator Orker Jev, Terseer Tsumba, Aondoyina Grace, Tergun Tsegba, and 13 others.
The applicants’ legal representatives, F.T. Anongo and others, requested a restraining order to halt the local government congresses until the court determines why the ward congress, scheduled for July 27, 2024, did not take place in the affected areas.
The affected local government areas are Buruku, Gboko, Guma, Kwande, Ushongo, and Konshisha.
The defendants in the suit include the PDP, its acting national chairman, national organizing secretary, and state chairman, John Ngbede.
The restraining order states that the respondents, their agents, and representatives are temporarily prohibited from conducting the local government congress election in the specified areas.
“It’s hereby ordered that respondents, their agents, servants or privies are restrained in the interim from conducting local government congress election scheduled from 10/8/24 in only six local governments in Benue State,” the restraining order reads.
The court has scheduled a further hearing for August 18, 2024, to consider the motion.
Over the past few months, Benue PDP has been battling internal wrangling as the party is divided into different factions.
Earlier on Thursday, the Benue PDP suspended former governor Gabriel Suswam and four others for alleged disobedience.
On August 7, the PDP invited Suswam and four others to discuss alleged “anti-party activities”.
