Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court ruling preventing the electoral body from endorsing a national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, deepening the opposition group’s internal divisions.
The three-judge panel in the capital dismissed the PDP’s challenge to an October 31 decision by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, which barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from validating the event set for November 15-16 in Ibadan.
The appellate court unanimously ruled that the appeal lacked merit, affirming the trial judge’s jurisdiction over the matter beyond mere party internals and confirming the plaintiffs’ standing to sue in defense of their rights.
It also rejected claims of unfair proceedings and imposed a N2 million fine on the PDP for pursuing a baseless case.
Leaders from rival PDP factions, including those aligned with Kabiru Tanimu Turaki and Abdulrahman Mohammed, attended the Monday session, with national secretary Samuel Anyanwu seen engaging cordially with Turaki.
The verdict signifies the ongoing leadership strife within the PDP, with further related cases slated for review by the appeals bench.
