Court halts PDP convention, says Lamido was “unjustly shut out

Court halts PDP convention, says Lamido was “unjustly shut out”

By James Ike

A Federal High Court in Abuja has thrown the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into uncertainty after stopping its national convention scheduled for this weekend in Ibadan, Oyo State.

In a decisive ruling on Friday, Justice Peter Lifu ordered that the convention cannot proceed until former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, is given a fair chance to obtain a nomination form and contest for the party’s national chairmanship.

Justice Lifu held that evidence before the court showed Lamido was “unjustly denied the opportunity to obtain a nomination form,” a move he said violated the PDP’s own constitution and internal guidelines.

He stressed that political parties must uphold fairness and internal democracy, noting: “Parties are expected to create opportunities for their members to serve by putting deliberate measures in place to enable them realise their aspirations.”

The judge also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from participating in, observing, or recognising any convention conducted without Lamido being allowed into the race — a restriction that directly affects the two-day convention planned for Saturday and Sunday.

Justice Lifu further ordered the PDP to immediately suspend all preparations for the event, make nomination forms available to Lamido, and give him sufficient time to organise his campaign and mobilise supporters ahead of the contest.