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A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has issued an interim injunction restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its suspended National Vice Chairman for the South-South, Dan Orbih, from conducting the South-South Zonal Congress, originally scheduled to take place in Calabar, Cross River State, on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
The court, presided over by Justice G.V. Obomanu, ruled in favor of the claimants following the submissions of their counsel, Emeka D.A. Ojoko. The judge ordered the PDP and Orbih, along with their agents and representatives, to halt any preparations for the congress until the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for an interlocutory injunction.
Furthermore, the court instructed all parties involved to maintain the status quo as it was on February 20, 2025, pending the outcome of further court proceedings.
The court also granted permission for the claimants to serve legal documents on the PDP and Orbih via substituted means, including posting notices at the South-South Zonal Headquarters in Port Harcourt and publishing the notice in a widely-read national newspaper.
The case has been adjourned to February 28, 2025, for a hearing on the Motion on Notice, temporarily halting the PDP’s internal electoral process in the South-South region. This development has raised concerns about the party’s leadership structure within the zone.
One of the claimants, Mr. Friday Nkor, confirmed in an interview with Channels Television that he filed the case, stating, “There were statements from the National Executive of our party directing that the South-South Zonal Congress should not hold tomorrow, being the 22nd of February 2025, so we went to court to ensure there’s no disobedience of that.”
Mr. Nkor emphasized, “We are not against the Congress holding, but for now, it’s only the North-East and South-East Congresses that have been approved. I must also make clear that this has nothing to do with Governor Fubara or the FCT Minister, it’s purely a party matter.”
