The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Apo, Abuja, on Wednesday, nullified the expulsion of the senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu, from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Delivering a ruling, Justice Valentine Ashi also nullified the expulsion of the Ogun State Chairman of the party, Adebayo Dayo, from the party.
The judge held that the expulsion was unlawful and amounted to a nullity as it was done in flagrant disobedience of a subsisting order of the court made on December 7, 2017.
The order allegedly violated by the party was restated on January 9, 2018, directing parties not to do anything to jeopardise the hearing of the pending substantive suit.
The court had specifically warned the party against carrying out any disciplinary action against the defendants (Kashamu and Dayo) without first, having recourse to the court.
The judge, in his ruling on Wednesday, therefore, nullified the party’s letter dated August 1, 2018 by which the party informed Kashamu and Dayo of their expulsion.
He also gave the PDP’s National Chairman, Uche Secondus, 48 hours, after being served with the court order, to show cause by swearing to an affidavit explaining why the court’s disciplinary action should not be taken against him for allegedly aiding his party to violate the court order.
The judge also directed Secondus to explain why, in the alternative, he should not be referred to the Attorney General of the Federation for trial before the Magistrates’ Court for allegedly obstructing the course of justice.
The ruling was on an application filed by Kashamu and Dayo, marked, M/8696/2018, which was an offshoot of the main suit marked, FCT/HC/CV/0303/2017, which was filed by the PDP on December 4, 2017.
Apart from Kashamu and Dayo, the other defendants to the suit which was filed by the PDP, were Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe (as PDP South West leader), Alhaji Adewale Adeyanju, and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
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