The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court, restraining the Peoples Democratic Party from going ahead with its November 15 and 16 national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, without allowing a former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, to participate as a chairmanship aspirant.
In a unanimous ruling, a three-member panel of the appellate court confirmed the November 14 judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The trial court had directed the party to give Lamido the opportunity to contest for the party’s national chairmanship.
The appellate court held that the PDP’s decision to proceed with the convention despite the subsisting Federal High Court order was contemptuous and showed disregard for the authority of the court.
According to the panel, it was clear that the party conducted the convention in defiance of the court order that required it to allow Lamido to participate.
The court dismissed the PDP’s argument that it had acted in compliance with the judgment of another court of coordinate jurisdiction. The panel emphasised that no party in a case can choose which court order to obey or disregard.
The proper course for the PDP, the court noted, would have been to seek a stay of execution of the judgment or to file an appeal against it.
The appellate court therefore affirmed that the trial court was correct to assume jurisdiction over Lamido’s suit and grant the relief he requested.
The court consequently dismissed the appeal, marked CA/ABJ/1695/2025, for lacking merit and awarded N2 million in costs against the PDP.
Details of the case are expected to follow.
