Orbih Cautions PDP To Withdraw Suspension Letter, Disband Disciplinary Panel

Chief Dan Orbih has served the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP a judicial notice to withdraw the letter and publications suspending him as National Vice Chairman of the party or face judicial action.

Besides, he has also asked the party to immediately disband the disciplinary committee constituted to try him as evinced in the party’s statement on his suspension.

The move by Orbih follows a yet to be discharged order by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja stopping the party at any level taking disciplinary actions against him.

In a letter to the acting national chairman of the party issued through his solicitors, Dr OJ Onoja, Orbih affirmed that the had obtained an injunction barring the party from launching any action against him.

He said:

Sir,

SUSPENSION OF CHIEF DAN ORBIH, VICE CHAIRMAN SOUTH-SOUTH ZONE OF THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), BY THE NATIONAL WORKING COMMITTEE (NWC) OF THE PARTY SUBSISTING AGAINST THE SUBSISTING ORDER OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT SITTING IN ABUJA IN SUIT NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/601/202: CHIEF DAN OSI ORBIH V. PAULINUS IBODE & 2 ORS

DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL RETRACTION OF THE PRESS STATEMENT AND ALL OTHER ACTION(S) INCIDENTAL THERETO

We are solicitors to CHIEF DAN ORBIH, whom we shall hereinafter refer to as “our client” and at whose behest, we write to you, with respect to the above mentioned subject matter to the following effects:

1. Our client Chief Dan Orbih, is the National Vice Chairman, South-South Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who was duly elected under the party’s constitution and had carried on his duties in that capacity over the years to the admiration of many and also to the envy of a disgruntled few who want him out of the said office either by hook or by crook.

2. It came to our client’s knowledge the scheemings and smear campaign, launched against him including but not limited to getting the Ward Executive Committee of Ward 4, Etsako Central Local Government (his home ward) led by one Paulinus Ebode to suspend him in order to pave the way to boot him out of office. Large financial war chest was deployed to achieve this sinister objective.

3. Following the above, our client approached the Federal High Court (Abuja Division) in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/601/2024: CHIEF DAN, OSI ORBHI V. PAULINUS EBODE & 2 ORS., wherein the Learned Trial Judge on the 10th day of May 2024, granted an order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants which include the Peoples Democratic Party from suspending him from the party and adjourned the matter to the 22nd day of May 2024 for the hearing of the Motion on Notice.

4. The said order of court and the originating processes were served on all the parties including the National Secretariat of the party. A Certified True Copy of the said order herein enclosed and marked Annexure 1.

5. The lifespan of the above order was extended pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice following an application to that effect by Counsel from this Law Firm, when the matter came up on the 28th day of May, 2024. Counsel to the 1st Defendant who did not file any counter to the Motion on Notice applied for an adjournment to enable them file one. A Certified True copy of the Record of Proceeding on the 28/5/2024 is herein enclosed and marked Annexure 2.

6. Surprisingly, on the 10th day of July 2024, during the subsistence of the extant order of court, the National Working Committee (NWC) of your party, the PDP resorted to ‘self-help’ by suspending our client in contravention of the order of court.

On the premises of the foregoing, it is our client’s firm instruction that we demand from you as a matter of extreme urgency AND WE HEREBY DEMAND as follows:

a. An immediate retraction of the said Press Statement issued by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party regarding our client

and all other actions or directives incidental thereto, which were done in contravention of an extant order of court.

b. Immediate dissolution of the six man committee headed by Amb. Taofeek Arapaja to investigate our client on trumped-up allegations.

NOTE that we have our client’s further instruction that, in the event you elect to ignore and/or refuse to accede to our client’s demand contained herein, we should employ and enforce any and all legal options at our disposal, including but not limited to commencing contempt proceedings against your good self and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and the six-man disciplinary committee for contempt of court.

Please let wise counsel prevail.

Yours faithfully,

George Ibrahim, Esq. (Head of Chambers)

GWG.ng reports that a copy of the letter was also forwarded to Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, chairman of the six man disciplinary committee and also the party’s spokesman, Debo Ologunaba, National Publicity Secretary.

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