The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the judgment of a Federal High Court, which restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from conducting its national convention over the exclusion of Sule Lamido, the former Jigawa state governor, from contesting the chairmanship position.
In a unanimous judgment on Monday, a three-member panel of
the court held that the PDP defied a valid subsisting order of the federal high
court stopping the November 15 and 16, 2025, national convention.
The court faulted the argument by the PDP that it went ahead
with the convention in obedience of a judgment of another court of coordinate
jurisdiction in Oyo.
The panel held that it was not for any party in a case
to decide on which order to obey or ignore.
The court further held that the PDP ought to have applied
for a stay of execution or lodge an appeal against the judgement.
The court condemned the appellant’s contemptuous conduct and
held that the trial court was right to have assumed jurisdiction over Lamido’s
case and granted the reliefs he sought.
The court also awarded a cost of N2 million against the PDP.
BACKGROUND
Lamido had sued the party for allegedly denying him the
opportunity to purchase the chairmanship nomination form to enable him to
participate in the convention.
On November 14, a federal high court sitting in Abuja made a
final order restraining the PDP from conducting its national convention.
Peter Lifu, the presiding judge, gave the order while ruling
in a suit filed by the former Jigawa governor.
The court had on November 11 issued a temporary order
restraining the party from proceeding with the planned convention pending the
determination of the substantive suit.
In his judgement, Lifu held that the evidence before the
court established that Lamido was “unjustly denied” the opportunity to obtain a
nomination form to contest the position of national chairman of the party, in
violation of the PDP constitution and its internal regulations.
The judge held that the PDP is under a “strict” obligation
to adhere to its own rules and regulations by giving opportunities to eligible
members to pursue their political aspirations.
Consequently, the judge directed that the planned convention
be put on hold to allow Lamido to obtain the nomination form, mobilise
supporters, and conduct his campaign.
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