PDP primaries crisis: Court rejects attempts to delay Alaibe’s suit

Justice Jane Inyang of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa has
refused an application by 436 delegates that voted in the now
disputed People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship September 3
primary election to delay the hearing in the suit filed by a
frontline governorship aspirant, Chief Ndutimi Alaibe against the
winner and governorship candidate, Senator Douye Diri.

The 436 include the eight elected local government chairmen and
their vice, 105 councilors and 315 adhoc delegates elected from the
105 wards in the state.

Justice Inyang also declined an application to vacate an earlier
order which directed substituted service on the defendants. She,
however, abridged the time for the respondents to reply and fixed
October 18 for the hearing of the suit.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, counsel to the 4th and 5th
defendants who are the 436 delegates, Barr. Chucks Uguru applied
orally to the court seeking that the order on substituted service
be vacated as they had not been served.

The defendants also requested that a time of between 30 and 42
days be granted for them as provided in the Section 36 of the
Constitution as amended to allow for sufficient response to the
notice that had not been served them by the plaintiff.

Justice Inyang was to rule on the application by the defendants
but stood it own when counsels to both the plaintiffs and
defendants told the court that they had agreed for the hearing to
commence on October 18.

Counsel to Alaibe, Mr Somina Johnbull, speaking after
proceedings said the court only heard the counsels on the report of
service and that three out of five had been properly served,

“For the purpose of fair hearing, those without response have
been given more time. When the court stood down to consider ruling,
the counsels agreed on 18th October 2019. The whole preliminary
process is to ensure that there is no obstacle in the speedy
hearing of the case. The court did not vacate the order of
substantive service. It only set aside order abridging time. They
stand nothing to benefit because most of them have been served and
they complied.”

Uguru in his own explanation commended the judiciary for its
activism to uphold the principle of fair hearing.

“ Sometime last week, behind our back as we have not been
served, the plaintiff obtained an order that all be served through
substantive service and also that our time of responding to the
claim of the plaintiff, which overwhelmingly should be 30 days or
42 days depending on method used, was abridged to five days
including Saturday and Sunday. The court to the glory of God,
displayed judicial activism and agreed with the submission of the
defendant counsels and set aside the order.”

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Police Host PR Workshop for Spokespersons in
Anambra
In line with the impassioned quest of the Inspector General of
Police, IGP M.A Adamu,NPM, mni for reinventing the image of the
Force and repositioning the Police Spokespersons for optimal
performance as critical stakeholders, particularly in the
implementation of the National Community Policing Model, the
Nigeria Police Force is organizing a four-day Strategic Training
Workshop for Police Public Relations Officers across the country,
tagged “Police PROs and Effective Communication in Contemporary
Times” from 8th – 11th, October, 2019 at the Banquet Hall of the
Golden Tulip Hotel, Agulu Lake, in the beautiful and serene town of
Agulu, near Awka, Anambra State.

The Training Workshop, which will be coordinated by the Office
of the Force Public Relations Officer, will bring together all
Police Public Relations Officers from the twelve (12) Police Zonal
Commands, the thirty-six (36) States Commands, the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT), and Staff Officers of the Force Public Relations
Department.

The training module of the workshop will be delivered by
seasoned communication experts from the prestigious School of Media
and Communication of the Pan-Atlantic University, Ibeju-Lekki,
Lagos State and other top journalists and PR professionals across
the country.

The Workshop is being hosted and sponsored by the Anambra State
Government with support from other critical stakeholders and will
be declared open by His Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Willie Obiano B.Sc,
MBA, FCA, Executive Governor of Anambra State.

DCP FRANK MBA
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS
ABUJA​