The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissing its suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and list members of the party’s Interim National Working Committee (INWC).
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, the party described the judgment as a direct affront to the authority of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, insisting that it would challenge the ruling through all lawful means.
The BoT said it received the judgment “with utter dismay,” arguing that the court failed to uphold what it described as extant judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court regarding the composition of the party’s interim leadership.
According to the party, the High Court exceeded its jurisdiction by making pronouncements that contradicted decisions of superior courts, particularly by recognising actions taken by individuals whose suspension and expulsion from the PDP had allegedly been upheld by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
The Board further alleged that the court went beyond the issues presented before it by making pronouncements in favour of persons who were not parties to the suit.
“The BoT strongly rejects the decision of the High Court, which is a direct affront to the superior authority of the Court of Appeal, the supremacy of the Supreme Court, the integrity of the institution of the judiciary and the sanctity of the law,” the statement read.
Maintaining that the judgment could not stand in the face of the law, the PDP BoT said it remained committed to pursuing every available legal option to ensure justice was served.
The Board also urged members and supporters of the party to remain calm and focused despite the development.
It disclosed that an emergency meeting of the Board of Trustees would be convened within the next few days to deliberate on the judgment and communicate the party’s next line of action to its members and Nigerians.
The latest development comes amid the lingering leadership crisis within the PDP, with the party expressing confidence that the legal process would ultimately resolve the dispute over its recognised national leadership.
