The Court of Appeal Abuja Division has ordered the People’s Democratic Party, PDP to maintain status quo ante by recognising Tochuku Okorie as the chairman of the party in the state, in the leadership tussle rocking the party in Ebonyi state, until the substantive suit is determined. Delivering judgement on a motion for stay of execution and appeal filed by PDP and Tochuku Okorie against the judgement of His Lordship, Justice AR Mohammed of Abuja High court on April 13, 2022, the Appeal court stated that Tochuku Okorie is still the rightful chairman of the party in the state. The Appeal court hereby removed the Controversial Factional Chairman, Silas Onu, who was seen as a meddlesome interloper and directed Mr. Tochuku Okorie, the duly elected chairman of the party to resume his duties as the chairman of the party.
The Justices of the Appeal court lambasted Mr Onu, a lawyer by profession, for being desperate and disrespecting the Court by his actions in assuming the Chairmanship position of the Ebonyi PDP notwithstanding the pendency of the motion in the court of Appeal.
The PDP Ebonyi State and Tochuku Okorie had filed an appeal against the decision of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which removed Mr Tochukwu Okorie as the Chairman of the Party which directed PDP to recognise Mr Onu as the state chairman of the party in the state.
But Mr Onu notwithstanding the Pendency of the Appeal and an accompanying motion for stay of execution, assumed the position of the PDP Ebonyi State Chairman, conducting and directing the affairs of the party with the tacit support of the party at the national level.
According to source, Onu’s actions were based on the advice of the national legal Adviser of the party, who though was aware of the motion for execution and Appeal before the Appellate Court, still went ahead to interpret the judgement of the lower court to the party in favour of Silas Onu.
The Court of Appeal while granting the motion for stay of execution with effect from April 13, when the matter was brought before it, in Motion number 444, lambasted Mr Onu for disrespecting the court with his desperate actions.
Lawyers to Tochuku Okorie told journalists that the implications of the Appeal court judgement are that all actions taken by Onu since April 13, are now declared null and void.
Such actions may include the nomination forms and other legal documents Onu must have endorsed for aspirants to various positions in the party as the illegal chairman of the party in the state.
