The Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the Court of Appeal’s judgment that upheld the nullification of the party’s Ibadan National Convention and the suspension of certain national officers, declaring its intention to immediately challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The appellate court, in a judgment delivered by a panel led by Mohammed Danjuma, upheld earlier Federal High Court rulings that nullified the PDP’s Ibadan National Convention.
It also affirmed the suspension of some party officials, including former National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, while dismissing an appeal against interlocutory orders issued by Justice Inyang Ekwo Abdulmalik.
Reacting to the judgment, the Turaki faction warned that its implementation could impose “untold hardship” on party members nationwide. The faction said consultations were ongoing with key organs of the party to determine the next steps.
In a statement issued on Monday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, emphasized that the legal battle over the PDP’s internal leadership dispute was far from over.
He added that lawyers for the Turaki-led faction had been directed to urgently file an appeal before the apex court.
According to the statement, “Earlier today, the Court of Appeal delivered a judgment on appeals arising from the judgments delivered by Justice Omotosho and Justice Lifu, and a ruling by Justice Abdulmalik. The panel of the Court, presided over by Hon. Justice Mohammed Ambi-Usi Danjuma, upheld the suspension of the National Legal Adviser (and by extension other officers like the National Secretary and National Organising Secretary).
“The Court also upheld the judgments of Justices Omotosho and Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The appeal against the interlocutory orders of Justice Abdulmalik was dismissed.
“The operationalisation of this judgement will, without fail, work untold hardship on our members . To avert this, while we are consulting with critical organs of our party on the way forward, we have also instructed our lawyers to immediately take legal steps to appeal same to the Supreme Court-being the apex court in the land; to conclusively adjudicate on this matter. We are hopeful that the apex court will expeditiously settle this matter in the interest of democracy.
“We urge our members to stand firm, trusting that soon this battle will be over and we shall be more than conquerors. The battle to rescue our party from the hands of government agents masquerading as opposition leaders must be fought, and we are determined to do so and win.
