Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday ordered the accelerated hearing into a suit seeking to stop the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) slated for May 29.
The judge gave the order while ruling on an application for abridgment of time argued by Mr. Paul Erokoro (SAN) on behalf of the plaintiff, Mr. Cosmos Ndukwe.
He held that time was of the essence in the matter and that it would be in the interest of justice for the suit to be fully determined before the primary election.
Justice Okorowo asked the PDP, its National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu to file their responses to the suit against them within four days.
The judge fixed May 18 for adoption of final addresses in the suit, saying a date for judgement would be fixed immediately after the adoption of addresses.
Erokoro had in the application pleaded with the court to abridge the time for the suit to be expeditiously heard.
The respondents, however, opposed the application for abridgment of time and accelerated hearing, claiming that there was nothing urgent about the case of the plaintiff.
The PDP counsel, Mr. Mahmud Magaji, (SAN), said the plaintiff had nothing to lose if the party went ahead with the presidential primary.
Ndukwe had on April 28 filed an ex parte application restraining the PDP from proceeding with the primary election over its refusal to zone the presidential ticket to the Southern part of the country.
