PDP group cautions party members against misrepresentation of court order

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

A political group, the Conference of Professionals in the Peoples Democratic Party (CP-PDP) has cautioned members of the party against misrepresentation of the Abuja Federal High Court order on the function of the newly appointed PDP South-South Zonal Caretaker Committee.

The group gave the advice in a statement by its Protem National Coordinator, Obinna Nwachukwu, in Abuja on Tuesday.

Nwachukwu said that contrary to certain reports, the Federal High Court, Abuja did not stop the functioning of the newly constituted zonal caretaker committee of the PDP.

He said that the clarification was important following reports by certain individuals who by all indications seek to cause confusion and derail the smooth running of duly constituted zonal caretaker committee.

Nwachukwu said that the order of the court could not have a retroactive effect on the PDP as it was issued during the working hours of Monday, after the committee was appointed.

He added that the Chief Emmanuel Ogidi-led seven-member zonal caretaker committee had also assumed office in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP, before the said order.

“It is instructive for the conference to state that the Ogidi-led zonal caretaker committee was appointed on Friday, of March 7.

“It effectively assumed office at 1am of Monday, March 10 following the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past Zonal Executive at 12 midnight of Sunday, March 9.

“Moreso, the NWC appointed the zonal caretaker committee in compliance with an Order of the High Court of Bayelsa State.

“The court in suit No BYHC/YHC/CV/99/2025 ordered the party to constitute the South South Zonal Caretaker Committee so as to avoid a vacuum at the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past zonal executive at 12 midnight of Sunday, March 9, 2025,” he said.

Nwachukwu added that it was also trite of law that a court order could not restrain or undo an action that had already taken place.

“The purpose of a court order is to prevent an action and not to reverse a completed act.

“It is also trite law that a court cannot sit on or set aside a decision of another court of concurrent jurisdiction.

“The import is that the appointment and assumption of office of the Ogidi-led Zonal Caretaker Committee are completed acts and cannot be reversed by an order of Court of concurrent jurisdiction” he said.

Nwachukwu further said that the appointment, composition and functioning of the Ogidi-led caretaker committee was not part of the matter before the High Court holding in Abuja.

He added that the issue also did not expressly form part of the reliefs sought by the litigants.