I feel so sad dragging PDP to court over 2025 National Convention – Sule Lamido

Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, on Tuesday saidhe felt so sad dragging the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the FederalHigh Court in Abuja over his exclusion from the 2025 national convention of theparty. Lamido, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that eventhough a restraining order has been issued against the PDP not to go ahead withthe planned convention, which called for his celebration, he nonetheless feltbad that he was forced to opt for the court action. The former governor recalled his long relationship with thePDP, which culminated in his election as Governor of Jigawa State and hisappointment as Foreign Affairs Minister, and noted that he opted for courtaction against the PDP to get justice for himself. He said that as a bona fide member of the PDP, he hadapproached the national leadership of the party to purchase the nationalchairmanship nomination form but was denied. “In this case, if my party lost, I also lost. I feel likecrying taking this path. When we fight as brothers, the trust is lost; the bondof brotherhood is also lost,” he said. The former governor spoke with newsmen shortly after JusticePeter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, made an interim order restrainingthe PDP from holding its 2025 National Convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan,Oyo State, between November 15 and 16. The court also barred the Independent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) from supervising, monitoring, or recognizing the outcome ofthe National Convention where national officers are expected to be elected. Justice Lifu issued the fresh order while delivering rulingin a motion on notice brought by the former governor against the PDP, which hesaid denied him the opportunity to buy the chairmanship nomination form toenable him to participate in the convention. The judge predicated the restriction order against the PDPon the grounds that the party refused, neglected, and failed to comply withrelevant conditions and laws for the conduct of such conventions. The judge held that evidence from Lamido showed that thetimetable for the convention was not published for the attention of its membersas required by law. Justice Lifu also held that the balance of conveniencetilted towards Lamido because he would suffer more if allowed to be unlawfullyexcluded from the planned convention. To make remedy, the judge said that the former governor hadundertaken to pay damages to the PDP in the event that his suit was found to befrivolous. According to the judge, in a constitutional democracy, dueprocess of law must be strictly followed by those in charge, adding that to dootherwise would endanger democracy itself. He also said that in line with Section 6 of the 1999Constitution, a court of law must not abdicate its role of dispensing justicewithout fear or favour. Justice Lifu held that anarchy would be the order of theday, anytime, anywhere, if the court of record abdicated its constitutionallyassigned functions. In his final pronouncement, the judge restrained the PDPfrom proceeding with the convention billed for November 15 and 16 or any otherdate in Ibadan or any other place. He also stopped INEC from supervising, monitoring, orrecognizing the outcome of any convention that may be organized by the PDP. Meanwhile, parties in the matter adopted their variousbriefs on Tuesday, and the court fixed November 13 to deliver judgment in thesubstantive matter filed by the former governor. It will be recalled that another judge of the same court,James Omotosho, had on October 31 issued similar orders stopping INEC fromsupervising or recognizing the outcome of the convention if conducted, on thegrounds that due process was not followed in the way the convention was beingplanned. Besides, Omotosho held that the PDP failed to issue themandatory 21 days’ notice of meetings and congresses to enable INEC to carryout its mandatory duty of monitoring such meetings and congresses. Justice Omotosho held that the failure of the PDP to complywith the law has put the planned convention in jeopardy and subsequentlyadvised the PDP to do the necessary before going ahead with the election. He therefore restrained INEC from receiving, publishing, orrecognizing the outcome of the convention slated for Ibadan until the law hasbeen complied with.

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