BY Innocent Anaba

lagos- A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Tuesday, refused the request of  some aggrieved members of the Lagos Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to have party officials, who were elected at the last Saturday’s Congress restrained from parading themselves as officials of the party.

Trial judge, Justice Mohammed Liman, who had on Friday, put the party’s congress on hold, noted that the rejection of the application was because the national officers of the party were not served with the Friday’s order by the court’s bailiff before the congress was held.

The court also directed substituted service of the order on PDP officers through a publication in a national newspaper and adjourned further hearing till March 26, 2012 for report of service.

Counsel of the plaintiff, yesterday, urged the court to restrain those that were purportedly elected at the said congress from parading themselves as PDP officers.

He said despite the fact that the media was awash with the order of the court, the defendants went ahead to conduct the election in the state, which was a breach of the court order.

Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, counsel denied knowledge of the order, but urged the court to grant a short adjournment to enable him file his papers since he was just briefed of the matter.

The court refused to make further orders in the matter but adjourned the case till Monday next week.

The plaintiffs, including PDP chairmanship candidate for Agege Local Government Area, Alhaji Imam Akorede, are asking the court to void the said local government congress for non-compliance with the guidelines as stipulated by Article 12(72)(j) and 16.3 of the constitution of the PDP 2009 as amended.

Defendants in the suit are; Ambassador Musiliu Obanikoro, Chief Dupe Sasore, Chief Ayo Waddel, Dr. Lekan Sobowale, Prince Adegboyega Oyebola, Chief Lanre Osundairo, Engineer Tunji Amosu and Alhaji Wahab Owokoniran, sued as members of PDP transition, reconciliation and congress committee.