The Federal High Court, Abuja has stopped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from going ahead with its planned national convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16.
The court, in the judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, held that evidence adduced that the party failed to comply with provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as well as its own Constitution.
It stressed that the party failed to conduct valid state congresses before it moved to hold the convention to elect its national officers.
In addition, the court held that the signing of notices and correspondence of the PDP by its National Chairman without the National Secretary violated the law and consequently made such notices and correspondences a nullity.
Consequently, the court directed the PDP to send the statutory 21-day notice before it could proceed with the proposed convention, restraining INEC from receiving, publishing or recognizing the outcome of the convention slated for Ibadan, until the law has been complied with.
The case was filed by Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman) and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South.
