New PDP, Old PDP Trade Words As Police Seal Off Baraje’s Faction Headquarters In Abuja

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Following the sealing of office of Abubakar Baraje led PDP, by the police; the two factions today traded words.  In its statement, the New PDP Secretary  Olagunsoye Oyinlola, called  “for an immediate removal of the siege to our secretariat. We call on the Inspector General of police to order the immediate removal of his men from our office. Doing so, we believe, will serve the interest of justice, rule of law and democracy. Nigeria is a country ruled by law and not by might and force.”
Oyinyola said; “The whole world knows that Justice E. Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday refused to grant Alhaji Bamanga Tukur’s application for an ex parte injunction against our party’s executive. The Judge asked parties to maintain the status quo. His judgement was a reinforcement of an early order of the Lagos High Court which also asked parties to maintain the status quo. Now, should Nigerians conclude that Tukur’s interpretation of status quo is this crude display of naked power and undisguised impunity?

“We are not at all surprised at this occurrence given the fact that Tukur issued a statement on Friday evening deliberately seeking to mislead the media and the public that Justice Chukwu granted him an injunction against us. We are happy that the ever vigilant Nigerian press ignored him and his falsehood. Now, he is not only wilfully disobeying the various courts which have made pronouncements on this matter, he is spicing up his love for impunity with this reckless misuse of state power by misleading the police.”
Adding further he said; “if this move is aimed at breaking our spirit, that goal is definitely off the mark. We are determined to rescue our party from the lawlessness and crass arrogance that have defined the character of the Tukur leadership since inception. Our party needs that deliverance; its members deserve the change we have brought into it.”
Meanwhile the Bamanga’s Tukur’s faction in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh commended the closing of the secretariat opened by the Baraje group as he said that such action was in line with the order of the court which held that the splinter group should not operate or parade themselves as leaders of the PDP until the hearing of the suit before it.
“Our attention has been drawn to reports by a section of the media erroneously suggesting that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja did not accede to our prayer that INEC should not recognize the so-called new PDP led by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje.
“For the avoidance doubt, the position of the Federal High Court is clear. By ordering that the two parties maintain status quo ante bellum, the court has clearly ordered the Baraje group to stop all its activities including operating a secretariat while it affirmed the leadership of the PDP under Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

“By the order of the court, no person is authorized by law to open a secretariat or operate under the name, colour and flag of the PDP other than the one led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The sealing off of the secretariat opened by the Baraje group under the name, colour and flag of the PDP is therefore in order and in line with the law”, the statement said.

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