Ayade’s Aides Exchange Blows As Meeting To Protest Supreme Court Ruling on PDP Ward, Chapter Exco List Ends In Brawl

Ayade’s Aides Exchange Blows As Meeting To Protest Supreme Court Ruling on PDP Ward, Chapter Exco List Ends In Brawl

A meeting convened in Cross River State by commissioners to condemn the Supreme Court’s ruling on the conduct of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Ward and Local Government Congresses ended in a brawl.

A source at the meeting told CrossRiverWatch that the meeting at the residence of George O’ben-Etchi, Commissioner for Solid Minerals, was going smoothly until an argument between Oliver Orok, Commissioner for Sustainable Development Goals, and two others ensued.

The source said that former Attorney General Joe Oshie-Abang and Information Commissioner Asu Okang were both involved in the verbal disagreement and exchange of blows.

The source said two female commissioners, Rita Ayim and Stella Odey-Inyang, had their own brawl on the side, aside from Messrs. Orok, Abang and Okang.

With the location slated for the 11-11 roundabout, the aides had assembled to organize a protest for tomorrow.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Tijjani Abubakar on 6 January 2021, the Supreme Court upheld the judgment of the PortHarcourt division of the Court of Appeal dated 2 November 2020, which, on 4 September 2020, affirmed the decision of the same division of the Federal High Court.

Also sitting on the panel were Justices Mary Odili, Ejembi Eko, Mohammed Garba and Samuel Oseji.

Jarigbe Agom, the first respondent and federal lawmaker, had approached the Federal High Court vacation court in PortHarcourt on August 24, 2020 requesting at least four reliefs.

The reliefs sought included the use of the PDP’s authentic list of ward and chapter executives that emerged in congresses held from 7 to 21 March 2020; an order prohibiting the list from being amended; an order banning any party in the suit from amending the list and an order requiring the Independent National Electoral Commission to hold primaries for the Senate by-election

Both appellate courts issued and upheld these reliefs.

And that is said to have dealt a blow to the attempt by Governor Ben Ayade to completely control the Cross River PDP structure.