A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed applications by former Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, and two others, seeking to set aside an order restraining them from attending meetings of the leadership of the party.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that sacked Governor of Rivers, Celestine Omehia, and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara, were also affected with the order.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in separate rulings, dismissed the three separate applications filed by the trio on the ground that their motions for stay of execution of the order were wrongly filed and therefore, incompetent.

NAN reports that the judge had, on April 5, issued ex-parte orders, which among others, restrain the three PDP chieftains from attending any meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and/or Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party.

Justice Ekwo restrained them from participating in deliberations or proceedings of the meetings in any manner pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

The restraining orders were made in relation to three substantive suits filed against the three chieftains of the PDP by some members of the party in Rivers State.

NAN reports that the suit against Secondus and seven others, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/440/2024 was filed by Titus Jones.

The second against Omehia and five others, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/436/2024 was filed by Precious Wobisike, while the third, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/438/2024 against Opara and seven others, was filed by Chisa Amadi.

Secondus, Omehia and Opara had applied that the execution of the orders be stayed pending the determination of the appeals they filed, challenging the ex-parte orders.

In the three different rulings on Thursday, Justice Ekwo described the applications as incompetent.

He held that under Order 26(9)(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules (FHCCPR) 2019, what Secondus, Omehia and Opara ought to do was to apply to the court to either vary or discharge the orders, not to apply for stay.

The judge said: “By Order 26 (9) (1) of the FHCCPR 2019, it is provided that where an order is made on a motion ex -parte, any person affected by it may, within seven days after service of it, or within such further time as the court shall allow, apply to the court by motion to vary or discharge it.

“The first defendant/applicant ought to have familiarise himself with the provisions of the rules of this court before embarking on this course.

“What any person, who is affected by ex-parte order of the Federal High Court has to do is provided for in Order 26(9)(1) of the FHCCPR 2019.

“There is no law which provides for appeal against ex-parte order of the Federal High Court.

“It is trite that where there is no law in support of a process or action such process or action is considered as abuse of process of court.

“I find that there is no iota of law in support of this application and I so hold.

“The consequence thereof also has been stated by the court in a very steady manner.

“I therefore make an order dismissing this application for being an abuse of process of this court,” Justice Ekwo said in the ruling on the application by Secondus.

Justice Ekwo reached the same conclusions in respect of similar applications by Omehia and Opara.

The judge then adjourned until April 25 for hearing of a pending motions on notice for interim injunctions filed by the plaintiffs in the three cases.

By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure

The Police in Ondo state on Wednesday said it arrested two persons over illegal registration of All Progressives Congress (APC) members, in their hideout, ahead of the Saturday’s party governorship primary election.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, in a statement made available to journalists in Akure said; “On Wednesday, 17th April, 2024, the Police received an intel that one Mr Ariyo, a transporter in Ondo town was registering APC Party members at his residence ahead of the party primaries slated for 20th of April, 2024.

“Police personnel from Yaba Divisional Headquarters led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police visited the house and recovered the following items from the scene; APC party’s registration booklets, list of names of purported party members of ward 7 Ondo, 53 passport photographs of different individuals, a jotter containing names, 2 exercise books with names and phone numbers of people and 2 slips of a registered form.

“Two suspects have been arrested and are assisting the Police with necessary information to apprehend others involved.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Abayomi P. Oladipo, admonishes all political aspirants to caution their supporters whose acts can stir the hornet’s nest in the state.

“The CP also ordered total clamp down on incendiaries no matter whose ox is gored, as the Command has spread its tentacles to all nooks and crannies of the state to ensure safety of lives and property and peaceful conduct of the party primaries in the state.”

Ahead of this year’s Democracy Day Celebrations; the Federal Government has inaugurated a 17-man Inter-Ministerial Committee.

The committee was inaugurated in Abuja and  is charged with the responsibility of organising a memorable and befitting democracy day anniversary.

Democracy Day is a national public holiday in Nigeria to commemorate the restoration of democracy in 1999 and it is commemorated on 12 June.

This was revealed in a statement by Mr Segun Imohiosen, Director, Information/Public Relations, office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The committee, chaired by Akume, has the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi; Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, as members.

Others are Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike.

“The committee also includes the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman; Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and other sub-committees,” the statement revealed.

According to the statement, the SGF, Sen. George Akume, while inaugurating the committee in his office, emphasised the importance of the commemoration.

Akume said it was an opportunity to reflect on the contributions, sacrifices of national heroes and heroines who fought for entrenchment of democratic rule in Nigeria.

According to him, the annual democracy day celebration also affords the nation the avenue to showcase its achievements in dealing with myriads of challenges in social and economic sectors confronting the nation.

The proposed activities lined up for the 2024 Democracy Day celebration are; World Press Briefing on Thursday, June 6, Juma’at Service on Friday June 7, Church Service on Sunday, June 9.

Other activities to mark the celebration include Symposium/Public Lecture on Monday, June 10, and the Presidential Broadcast alongside Parade on Wednesday, June 12.