The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday reserved judgment in a suit seeking to sack Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice Evoh Chukwu reserved judgment after hearing the arguments of counsel to the parties and directed them to submit their telephone numbers to the court registrar for further information on the judgment date.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PDP chieftain, Alhaji Aliyu Gurin, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2014, dated Nov. 10, urged the court to remove Mu’azu and reinstate Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

Gurin argued that Tukur’s resignation did not comply with the provisions of Section 47(5) of the PDP’s constitution which stipulates that he gives a 30 days’ notice to the National Executive Committee.

Joined as co-defendants in the suit are Tukur, who later filed an affidavit seeking to return to his former office, Mu’azu, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Gurin also prayed the court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining PDP from holding its national convention slated for Dec. 10 and 11 under Mu’azu’s chairmanship, pending determination of the suit.

His counsel, Rotimi Ogunesan (SAN), therefore, urged the court to give an order restraining Mu’azu from acting as the national chairman of the PDP, pending the final determination of the suit.

At Wednesday’s sitting, Tukur’s counsel, Mr Adamson Adeboro, while adopting his client’s counter-claim, urged the court to restrain PDP and INEC from further recognising Mu’azu as PDP National chairman.

He also prayed for a court order to set aside Tukur’s purported resignation letter, dated Jan. 15, and reinstate him as the substantive and duly elected PDP National Chairman until his term ends in 2016.

Tukur further sought an order allowing him to preside over the party’s National Convention slated for Dec. 10 and 11.
He said that the decision to relinquish his office as PDP chairman was to facilitate the return of the five governors of the party who defected.

According to him, “but to my surprise, the governors are yet to return, 10 months after.’’
Mr Solomon Umoh (SAN), PDP counsel, prayed the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that it was an abuse of court process.

He said that Tukur “walked out’’ of the party midway and the Deputy National Chairman took over.

Umoh said that it was under the watch of the party’s Deputy National Chairman that Mu’azu was appointed acting National Chairman.

He urged the court to hold that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case which, he said was an internal affair of the party