PDP Ignores Court Ruling On Amaechi

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has ignored the ruling of a River State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, restraining it from taking any further action against the State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi. The party said it is not aware of any ruling, saying what happened in the court was merely an “action.” Mr Amaechi was suspended by the National Working Committee of the party on Monday last week over the removal of the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Timothy Nsirim, and 17 councillors fromoffice. Dissatisfied with the party’s action, the governor approached the court to challenge his suspension. The court, presided over by Emmanuel Ogbuji, had last Friday restrained the PDP from taking further action against the embattled governor pending the hearing of a substantive suit challenging his suspension from the party. The court also asked the governor to serve the PDP the necessary court processes by pasting them on the walls of the national secretariat of the party in Abuja. However, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh denied that the party was restrained from taking further action against Mr. Amaechi, saying there was no ruling onthe matter but that there was an action in the court. “Have you seen a copy of the ruling youare talking about?” Mr. Metuh asked PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interviewon Wednesday. “If you have seen it let me know. There was no court ruling, there was a court.” The PDP spokesman confirmed that the 11-member committee set up by the party to investigate the Rivers State governor has been sitting, adding that it has already invited memoranda from people to give evidence. Asked if the committee’s sittings and actions are not illegal since the issue is already in court, Mr. Metuh said though he was not mandated to speak for the committee, its chairman, Joe Gadzama, is a senior lawyer who would do everything within the ambit of the law. Meanwhile, there are no indications that Mr. Amaechi posted the court documents on the walls of the PDP secretariat....... SOURCE