A Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has permitted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) right to hold its national convention.
The three-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani had reserved ruling on the appeal filed by Uche Secondus seeking the suspension of the national convention of the PDP, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
Reading the decision of the court on behalf of the panel, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, recalled that the application, which he termed consequential, was filled on October 14, and all arguments on the matter taken on the 28th after some amendments.
He recalled that Secondus, on two grounds, was seeking an Order of Injunction restraining the PDP from holding the Convention, pending the hearing and determination of his sacking.
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The other was an order directing parties to the appeal to maintain Status Quo Ante Bellum that was before August 22, when he as the National Chairman of the party was removed, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.
Justice Kolawole noted that the court listened to the various counsel in the matter and made review of the issues raised by the parties, noting that there was no legal right in suspending the decision of the lower court on the substantive matter.
He regretted that since August the party took decision of the convention and set up committees to man the event that he (Secondus) did not take any step only to come few days to the convention to seek suspension.
On the issues of right, the court ruled that there was no personal right which needs to be protected for the applicant, because the office he occupied as the chairman of the party was public.
The court also bemoaned that Secondus had remained silent since he was sacked and his office taken without saying a word, adding that his late move was to take a shot at the national convention.
Justice Kolawole said granting the prayers would cause inconveniences, noting that greater justice would be done by refusing the application of the appellant to stop the convention, or annulling the decision of the lower court.
