The Peoples Democratic Party, Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee, said it will move to the Supreme Court to challenge the Appeal Court judgment over the party leadership.
Governors backed Turaki-led NWC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, on Monday insisted that the battle to rescue PDP from the hands of government agents masquerading as opposition leaders must be fought.
Earlier, a panel of the Appeal Court led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma delivered judgments on all consolidated PDP cases.
Among its rulings, the court upheld the Federal High Court in Abuja’s decision, finding that the processes leading to the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, violated the Electoral Act, the Nigerian Constitution, and the party’s own constitution.
As a result, the court declared that the convention that elected Turaki (SAN) and other members of the NWC was not conducted in accordance with the law, rendering its outcome invalid.
In response, Ememobong stated that they plan to appeal to the Supreme Court, expressing confidence that the apex court will swiftly resolve the matter in the interest of democracy.
The statement read in part, “Earlier today, the Court of Appeal delivered a judgment on appeals arising from the judgments delivered by Justice Omotosho and Justice Lifu, and a ruling by Justice Abdulmalik.
“The panel of the Court, presided over by Hon. Justice Mohammed Ambi-Usi Danjuma, upheld the suspension of the National Legal Adviser (and, by extension, other officers like the National Secretary and National Organising Secretary). The Court also upheld the judgments of Justices Omotosho and Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The appeal against the interlocutory orders of Justice Abdulmalik was dismissed.
“The operationalisation of this judgment will, without fail, work untold hardship on our members. To avert this, while we are consulting with critical organs of our party on the way forward, we have also instructed our lawyers to immediately take legal steps to appeal the same to the Supreme Court, being the apex court in the land, to conclusively adjudicate on this matter. We are hopeful that the apex court will expeditiously settle this matter in the interest of democracy.
“We urge our members to stand firm, trusting that soon this battle will be over, and we shall be more than conquerors. The battle to rescue our party from the hands of government agents masquerading as opposition leaders must be fought, and we are determined to do so and win.”
