Turaki-led PDP Appeals Court Ruling On Party Leadership

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Kabiru Turaki has directed its lawyers to appeal the latest Abuja Federal High Court ruling on the party’s leadership.

The PDP faction, in a statement on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, held that the high court ruling is against the extant judgments of the Appeal and apex courts.

NEWSNGR recalls that a Federal High Court in Abuja had on Friday, struck out a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish the names of the Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.

Justice Salim Ibrahim held that the plaintiffs, led by PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Sen. Adolphus Wabara, lacked the legal standing to institute the suit and consequently struck it out for want of jurisdiction.

The court upheld the preliminary objection filed by INEC and sustained similar objections raised by parties seeking to be joined in the suit, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to establish that INEC had recognised the purported interim NWC or that they had the authority to sue on behalf of the PDP.

However, the faction said that while it respects the judgment of the court, it disagrees with it and has therefore taken the matter to appeal.

It expressed hope that its victory was only postponed, as the struggle continues, and the higher court will rule in its favour.

The statement read: “Today, the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, presided over by Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim, upheld the Preliminary Objection of the defendants and struck out the case filed by the Board of Trustees and some founding leaders of the Party, seeking, among other reliefs, the recognition of the Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee.

“The court held that the subject matter of the suit is the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party and is an internal affair of the party- a matter which the court’s jurisdiction has been ousted.

“While we respect the judgment of the trial court, we respectfully consider that it is against the extant judgments of the Appeal and apex courts, leaving the plaintiffs with no option but to appeal the judgment and the rulings therein. The plaintiffs have accordingly briefed their lawyers to take immediate steps to appeal the rulings and judgement.

“We are hopeful that as we climb the ladder of the law upwards, the victory of truth over lies, principles over compromise and the survival of true opposition and multi-party democracy will be assured. The politics of power, money and greed may last for a while, but we are certain that though our victory may be postponed, as the struggle continues, we will eventually attain it. Aluta continua, Victoria ascerta!.”