A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has barred Enemona Anyebe from parading himself as the chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state.
Justice Yahaya Adamu of the State High Court 5, Lokoja, issued the order on Tuesday in suit number HC/Okp/8/2024, filed by John Ojodale against the PDP and one other. The court ordered a fresh election within 45 days to fill the vacancy for the Chairmanship position, ruling that Enemona Anyebe was not qualified to contest.
In his ruling, Justice Adamu stated that Anyebe was not a contestant in the PDP Congress held on 31 August 2024, due to his alleged suspension from the party.
Reacting to the court’s ruling, the first runner-up in the 31 August 2024 PDP Congress in Kogi State, Hon. Muhammad Sani Gambo, maintained that he remains the duly elected chairman of the party.
Gambo argued that he is the chief beneficiary of the judgment, as the ruling did not invalidate the election but instead declared that Enemona Anyebe was not supposed to be a contestant.
However, he opposed the court’s directive for another election within 45 days, asserting that the prayer for a fresh election was not included in the originating summons and amounted to contempt.
“Our case is before the Federal High Court. We are going to appeal the section of the ruling where the judge ordered a fresh election within 45 days,” he said.
“This was not part of the plaintiff’s originating summons, and we were not even party to the suit filed at the State High Court.”
Gambo further stated that he was not declared chairman partly because he was not joined in the suit. He revealed that he has approached the Federal High Court in Lokoja, seeking a declaration that he is the rightful winner of the election.
He called on his supporters and PDP members in the state to remain calm, assuring them that the Federal High Court will do the needful and declare him the duly elected chairman of the state PDP.
