The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has upheld the judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which stopped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held on November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, that produced Tanimu Turaki, SAN, as the National Chairman of the party.
A three-member panel of justices of the appellate court, led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, agreed with the decision of the lower court that there was no proper conduct of congresses before the Ibadan national convention.
The appellate court also dismissed the argument by the Turaki-led faction that the issues bordered on the internal affairs of the party.
Earlier in the judgment, the panel rejected the argument of the PDP faction led by Tanimu Turaki that the Federal High Court judge, Justice James Omotosho, lacked jurisdiction to hear the suit challenging the Ibadan convention on the grounds that the matter concerned the party’s internal affairs.
The preliminary objections raised by the respondents, a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that Chief Chris Uche, SAN, was not a proper legal counsel to represent the PDP were also dismissed by the court.
The court held that the objection lacked merit, noting that the former PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, had been suspended by the party’s National Working Committee.(News Analyzer)
