The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said it did not file any appeal or authorise any external solicitor to file any appeal on its behalf, at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt division challenging the order of the Rivers State High Court restraining the Chief Judge of Rivers State and the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly from receiving or acting on any resolutions from certain individuals pending the determination of a case before it.
PDP in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba on Sunday, restated that only its National Legal Adviser has “the exclusive responsibility of conducting the litigation, prosecution and defence of cases on behalf of the party including its organs, chapters and officials as expressly provided for in Section 42 of the PDP’s Constitution (as amended in 2017).”
The party noted that in a public notice published on January 17, 2023, it “notified the public that nobody, authority, office or organ other than the National Legal Adviser has the competence to file or engage external solicitors to file or handle cases on behalf of the party, which engagement must also be in writing under the hand of the National Legal Adviser specifying amongst other things, the nature of the case and other terms and conditions of the engagement.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP National Legal Adviser, Barr. Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN has ascertained that the party did not file the said appeal neither did it authorise any external solicitor to file the same on its behalf. As such, the PDP cannot be listed as appellant in the appeal.”
It, therefore, dissociated itself from the appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division in connection with suit No: PHC/2177/CS/2024.
