Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed October 31 for ruling on the suit seeking to stop the November 15-16, 2025 scheduled elective National Convention of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The trio of Hon. Austin Nwachukwu, Chairman PDP Imo State, Hon. Nnanna Abrahim Amah, PDP Chairman, Abia State and the South South Secretary, Mr. Turnah George had approached the court to stop the convention on the grounds that the party violated its rules and also to ensure that all outstanding state congresses, especially in Ebonyi, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, the South East and other states.
The presiding judge fixed date at the resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday after taking arguments from both the plaintiffs.
Listed defendants in the matter include, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, the PDP National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu, PDP National Organising Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature, , the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC). Others are the National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Umar Illiya Damagun, Mr. Ali Odefa and Mr. Emmanuel Ogidi.
At the resumed hearing of the suit, the counsel to the plaintiffs, Joseph Daudu SAN urged the court not to treat the complaints of the plaintiffs as internal affairs of the party but a step to enforce adherence to the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP Constitution.
Mr. Dauda, a former National President of the Nigerian Bar Association argued that Nigeria’s Constitution makes it mandatory for the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to monitor Congress of political parties before they can be valid.
He further argued that the complaints of the three aggrieved members was that no valid Congress were conducted in 14 states before the PDP NWC and NEC issued notice for the November 16 and 17 Convention.
In his counter argument, the counsel to the National Chairman of the party, Paul Erokoro SAN asked the judge to decline jurisdiction on the ground that issues of Convention and Congress are internal affairs of the party.
His position was aligned with by Eyitayo Jegede SAN who stood for the National Working Committee NWC and the National Executive Committee NEC to the effects that courts cannot inquire into the internal affairs of the party.
After the arguments, the Judge reaffirmed the earlier order of the court restraining all parties from taking further action till the final ruling of the court.
The judge maintained that he would not hesitate to nullify any step taken by any of the parties during the pendency of the case.
