.. .Affirms Suspension of Party Officials
The Court of Appeal has invalidated the recognition previously granted to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the PDP Interim National Working Committee (NWC), the appellate court held that there were no longer any live issues in the appeal because the central matter related to the party’s national convention, which had already been nullified by the Supreme Court.
The court further ruled that the aspect of an earlier judgment recognising the PDP Caretaker Committee should not have been made, as the issue was not properly before the court.
The statement explained that the Court of Appeal noted that the appropriate course of action would ordinarily have been to order a retrial. However, given that the substantive issue had become academic following the Supreme Court’s decision, a retrial would serve no useful purpose.
The judgment effectively overturns the decision of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, which had been relied upon by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the caretaker leadership within the party.
In another aspect of the ruling, the Court of Appeal affirmed the suspension of A.K. Ajibade and held that he lacked the authority to act on behalf of the PDP. The judgment, according to the statement, also extends to individuals associated with him, including Sam Anyanwu.
The PDP Interim National Working Committee described the ruling as a decisive legal victory, arguing that it invalidates the basis upon which the caretaker committee was recognised.
Following the judgment, the party called on INEC to immediately withdraw recognition from the caretaker committee and instead recognise the duly constituted Interim National Working Committee led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN).