An FCT high court might have compounded the woes of the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, with an order restraining it from proceeding with its planned Special convention pending the determination of a suit filed by three former officials of the party.
Justice Suleiman Belgore gave the order Thursday directing the ruling Party to “allow sanity to reign” and refrain from proceeding with the conduct of any form of convention “whether special or ordinary,” for the purpose of electing any officer of the party until the suit is determined.
Three aggrieved members; Abba Yale, Yahaya Sule and Bashir Maigudu had challenged the process of election of some former members of the party’s National Working Committee,NWC, that were faulted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, who also had rejected their election.
Justice Belgore who was ruling on applications brought by the parties turned down the plaintiffs’ prayer for interlocutory injunction nullifying the appointment of acting members of PDP’s NWC and restraining the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, from performing any of the NWC’s functions.
In refusing both prayers, Justice Belgore said that they were not part of the issues before the court.
He said that the decision of the party to take certain steps,(hold special convention) is capable of foisting a state of helplessness on the court.
According to him, having submitted itself to the jurisdiction of the court, the PDP was obliged to await the decision of the court on the matter.
He said that “it is recklessness of some high degree” for the PDP to have taken steps that could affect the case that is before the court.
“One will expect the PDP to allow sanity to reign and tarry a while to await the outcome of this case,” he stated.
Justice Belgore had earlier turned down a preliminary objection by the PDP seeking the dismissal of the case on the ground that events had overtaken it.
The ruling party had argued that the resignation of its NWC members , whose election the substantive suit was challenging, had rendered the suit worthless.
But the judge ruled that there were still live issues to be determined in the suit.
The issues left to be determined included whether the PDP acted legally, in the light of the provision of Article 3 of its constitution, in the appointment of its national officers; and whether the court could nullify the said appointment and compel the party to conduct fresh convention.
Stating that it was immaterial that the party’s NWC members had resigned, the judge said that the court would still determine the issues since their offices were still in existence.
The court granted the prayer made by PDP National Chairman, Tukur to be joined as a party in the suit and adjourned to July 29 for the determination of the substantive issues and hearing of an amended originating summons filed by the plaintiffs
