Court Halts PDP Convention Over Lamido's Exclusion
A Federal High Court in Abuja has delivered a significant blow to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by ordering the immediate suspension of its planned national convention. Justice Peter Lifu issued the ruling on Friday, November 14, just one day before the convention was scheduled to begin.
Court Order and Immediate Consequences
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja directed the PDP to put its national convention on hold indefinitely. The event was originally planned to take place in Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday November 15 and Sunday November 16. The court also issued a specific order to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), prohibiting the electoral body from supervising, monitoring, or recognizing any convention conducted without the participation of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, as a candidate.
The legal action stemmed from Lamido's complaint that he was unfairly prevented from obtaining a nomination form to contest for the party's National Chairmanship position. The court determined that this exclusion violated both the PDP Constitution and the party's internal regulations governing candidate selection processes.
Judicial Reasoning and Party Obligations
In his judgment, Justice Lifu emphasized that political parties have a fundamental duty to provide their members with genuine opportunities to serve in leadership positions. The court found that the PDP failed to implement deliberate measures that would have enabled aspirants like Lamido to properly pursue their political ambitions within the party structure.
The court specifically ordered that the PDP convention must remain suspended until Lamido is given adequate opportunity to obtain the nomination form, mobilize his supporters, and conduct a proper campaign for the National Chairmanship position. This ruling represents a significant judicial intervention in internal party affairs, setting a precedent for how political organizations should handle candidate selection processes.
The timing of this court decision creates substantial logistical challenges for the PDP, which had already made extensive preparations for the Ibadan convention. Party officials now face the task of reorganizing their schedule while complying with the court's directives regarding Lamido's participation in the chairmanship race.
