Federal High Court Rejects Case Contesting PDP Ward and Local Government Congresses in Kaduna
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the legality of its July 27, 2024 Ward Congresses in Kaduna State and seeking to halt the subsequent Local Government Congresses.
Justice Peter Ode Lifu ruled on Monday that the court lacks jurisdiction to intervene in the internal affairs of political parties, thereby dismissing the case.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1144/24, was brought by six aggrieved PDP members Sheu Isa Dan Ina, Mutari Shuaib, Yusuf Suleiman, Nura Waziri, Mansur Alasan, and Jaafar Abubakar represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mahmoud Abubakar Magaji.
The plaintiffs claimed they were authentic candidates unlawfully excluded from participating in the Kaduna State Ward Congresses. They sought the court’s intervention to compel the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to act on a report by the party’s Election Appeal Committee and conduct fresh Ward Congresses.
Additionally, the plaintiffs asked for an injunction restraining the PDP from proceeding with the August 10, 2024 Local Government Congresses, alleging further unlawful exclusion, and sought to bar the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring these congresses pending the suit’s resolution.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu referenced Supreme Court precedents emphasizing that the selection of party officers and nomination of candidates are purely internal party matters beyond the reach of judicial inquiry.
He found no merit in the plaintiffs’ claims and dismissed the suit for lack of jurisdiction without awarding costs.
