The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday set October 31 as the date for delivering judgment in a case seeking to halt the planned convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Justice James Omotosho fixed the date after lawyers representing both the plaintiffs and the defendants adopted their processes and presented arguments supporting and opposing the matter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the plaintiffs—Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Amah Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman), and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South) — had filed the suit.
They instituted the case against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s National Secretary, Umar Bature, the National Organising Secretary, the National Working Committee (NWC), and the National Executive Committee (NEC) as the 1st to 6th defendants.
Others joined in the suit include Umar Damagum, the PDP National Chairman; Ali Odefa; and Emmanuel Ogidi, listed as the 7th, 8th, and 9th defendants respectively.
The plaintiffs brought the case before the court to prevent the planned National Convention of the PDP scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, where new national officers are expected to be elected.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, Justice Omotosho reiterated that his earlier order directing all parties to maintain the status quo regarding the convention must not be violated by anyone involved in the matter.
Joseph Daudu, SAN, representing the plaintiffs, urged the court not to consider their grievances as mere internal issues of the party but rather as an effort to ensure compliance with the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, 2022, and the PDP Constitution.
The senior advocate argued that the Nigerian Constitution mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor political party congresses for them to be considered valid.
He stated that the grievances of the three complainants were based on the claim that no valid congresses were held in 14 states before the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) issued notice for the November 16 and 17 convention.
However, the party’s National Chairman, Mr Damagum, represented by Paul Erokoro, SAN, urged the court to decline jurisdiction, arguing that matters relating to party conventions and congresses are strictly internal affairs.
Similarly, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, who represented the NWC and NEC of the party, supported Erokoro’s position that courts have no authority to interfere in the internal affairs of political parties.
