Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, has distanced himself from a legal action aimed at preventing the party from conducting its national convention scheduled for August 17.
The factional Chairman of the PDP, Sen Ali Modu Sheriff, alongside other principal officers of the party including Metuh, had reportedly instituted a legal proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking to stop the convention from taking place.
Members of the Sheriff’s faction that filed the interlocutory suit before the Justice Okon Abang court include: the National Publicity Secretary of the party Olisah Metu, Wale Oladapo (National Secretary), Dennis Alonge-Niyi (Deputy National Youth Leader), Alhaji Bashir Maidugu (Deputy National Legal Adviser), Mrs. Hanatu Ulam (Deputy National Women Leader), Alhaji Lawa Dutsima Anchi (Deputy National Auditor), and Chief Okey Nnadozie (Deputy National Organising Secretary.
Following the suit, Justice Abang yesterday sacked the party’s Caretaker Committee, led by Sen Ahmed Makarfi, stressing that the committee was illegal and could not go ahead with the convention.
Metuh, who is currently facing charges for allegedly receiving the sum of N400m from former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki(rtd), however debunked reports that he is one of the plaintiffs, stressing that he should be left out of intra-party crisis and be allowed to nurse his health.
The former National Publicity Secretary stated this in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by his aide, Mr. Richard Ihediwa.
According to Metuh, he never instructed anyone to file any such suit on his behalf.
The statement reads, “For the avoidance of doubt, Metuh has taken the pains to consult those that went to court and has been reliably informed that his name was listed in error and which they have promised to rectify accordingly.
“It is pertinent to mention that Metuh has not attended any political meeting and/or programme since his chair accident at a function at the party’s national secretariat (of the PDP ) in April wherein he aggravated his spinal cord ailment.
“Our appeal to all and sundry therefore is that Metuh at this time should be left out of intra-party controversies. His only preoccupation now remains matters concerning his health and the extant court trial.”
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