A Federal High Court, Abuja, has restrained the People Democratic Party (PDP); its national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu; Senator Samuel Anyanwu; Hon. Umar Bature and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from allowing Edo State delegates to vote at the forth-coming national convention.

The trial judge, Inyang Ekwo, held that the restraining order would not apply, if such delegates were elected by the plaintiffs and the 571 ad-hoc delegates elected in the states ward congress.

He made the order following and ex parte motion filed by Monday Iyore Osagie and four others on behalf of the 571 ad-hoc delegates elected at PDP wards congress in the 192 wards of Edo State on April 30, 2022, where they asked the court to stop the PDP and four others from recognising other ad-hoc delegates in the election.

They prayed the court to retrain the 1st to 4th defendants, their offices, agents or privies from allowing any other ad-hoc delegates or recognising any ad-hoc delegates for the purpose of voting to elect the Local Government Area (LGA), national delegates, House of Assembly candidates, House of Representatives candidates, Senatorial candidates of the 1st defendant in Edo State schedule to hold on May 5, 7, 12 and 14, 2022 respectively (or on any other date to which the aforestated congresses maybe rescheduled) other than themselves and the 571 ad-hoc delegates (whose names are contained in exhibit A10 attached to the affidavit in support of the motion ex-parte) and who were elected at the 192 wards congress covering the 18 LGA in Edo State on April 30, 2022 and monitored by the 5th defendant (INEC).

Consequently, the judge restrained the 1st to 4th defendants from allowing the national delegates from Edo State to vote at the forthcoming national convention schedule for May 28, 29, 2022 (or any other date of which it may be rescheduled), unless such delegates were elected by the plaintiffs and the other 571 ad-hoc delegates, pending the hearing and determination of the motion of notice.

He, therefore, directed the service of the originating summons, the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction and all other processes in the suit on the defendants by substituted means to wit: by publishing all the said processes in two widely circulated national newspapers.

He added that the service should be effected within three days of the order and adjourned to May 11, 2022.