Court halts PDP national convention, bars INEC from monitoring exercise
A Federal High Court in Abuja has again restrained the Peoples Democratic Party from holding its planned national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Justice Peter Lifu, in a ruling on Tuesday, also stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission from supervising or recognising any outcome of the convention, where new national officers were to be elected.
The decision followed a suit filed by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, who claimed he was denied the chance to obtain the nomination form for the national chairmanship race, effectively excluding him from the process.
Justice Lifu ruled that the PDP failed to follow due process, noting that the party did not publish a timetable for the exercise as required by law. He said Lamido would suffer greater harm if excluded, stressing that adherence to the rule of law was essential for democracy.
“In a constitutional democracy, due process of law must be strictly observed by those in authority. To act otherwise is to endanger the very foundation of democracy itself,” the judge said, adding that courts must uphold justice without fear or favour.
The court therefore ordered that the PDP should not hold its convention on the scheduled dates or any other date, and directed INEC not to monitor or recognise any outcome from such an event.
This ruling comes a month after another Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, issued a similar order halting the PDP’s planned convention over alleged breaches of the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State High Court had earlier granted the PDP permission to proceed with its convention following an ex-parte application, but later adjourned the substantive hearing to allow both parties to exchange court documents.
