COURTROOM NEWS 04/04/2022
Court Orders Ebonyi PDP Headquarters To Be Unsealed
An Abuja Federal High Court has ordered for the unsealing of the State Headquarters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State.
In the ruling delivered this afternoon by Hon. Justice D.U. Okorowo, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/396/2022 Between Peoples Democratic Party and Hon. Tochukwu Okorie V. The Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19, Director General of National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, The Minister of Health, The Attorney General of the Federation, Department of State Security Services, Ebonyi State House of Assembly and Ors, the Court restrained the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State, the DSS, The Government of Ebonyi State and the Ebonyi State House of Assembly from interfering in the Plaintiff’s access to their Secretariat.
He further adjourned the matter to the 13th of April for hearing of the Motion on Notice.
Today’s ruling was made after the Judge heard the Ex Parte motion filed by Counsel to the Plaintiffs on the 23rd of February, 2022.
The Ex Parte Motion sighted by The Lawyer was accompanied by a 12-paragraph Affidavit and a Written Address wherein the Plaintiffs/Applicants asked the Court to Order for Sunsistuted Service to be effected on 8-9th Defendants, and an Order restraining the 7th, 8th and 9th Defendants from preventing the Plaintiffs/Applicants from accessing their Secretariat.
“Leave of this Honourable Court to serve the originating processes in this matter on the 8th -9th Defendants by substituted means.
An Order of this Honourable Court directing that the originating processes in this matter and all other subsequent processes be served on the 8th -9th Defendants, by substituted means, to wit:
By serving the 8th -9th Defendants by substituted means, by delivering to any adult ,official, staff or person, and or by pasting at Ebonyi State Liaison Office, at Plot 146,Mississippi Street, Off Alvan Ikoku Way, Abuja.
An Interim Order of this Honourable Court restraining the Defendants, especially the 7th ,8th and 9th Defendants, either by themselves, their servants, assigns or privies or otherwise howsoever from, restraining the Plaintiffs from accessing their Peoples Democratic Party Secretariat, located along Enugu-Abakaliki Express Highway, pending the hearing and final determination of the motion on notice.
An Order of this Honourable Court directing parties in this suit, to maintain the status quo ante bellum, that existed on the 31st day of January 2021, pending the hearing and final determination of the Motion On notice already pending before in this Honourable Court.
AN ORDER of this Honourable Court, abridging the time within which the Defendants will enter appearance in this matter, and file their processes in response to this Originating Summons, to 7days.
AN ORDER of this Honourable Court, granting accelerated hearing of this matter.
For such further or other orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.”
On the 23rd of March, 2022, the Originating Summons for the Substantive claims was filed wherein the Plaintiffs challenged the sealing of their State Secretariat by the Government of Ebonyi State for purportedly flouting the Ebonyi State Corona Virus and Other Infectious Diseases Law, 2020.
