The Court of Appeal has invalidated the judicial recognition previously granted to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee, a development that could further reshape the leadership structure of the opposition party.
According to a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee (INWC), Comrade Ini Ememobong, the appellate court ruled that there were no longer any live issues in the appeal, as the substantive matter relating to the party’s national convention had already been nullified by the Supreme Court.
The court reportedly held that the aspect of the earlier judgment that recognised the Caretaker Committee was not an issue before the court and therefore should not have been included in the ruling. The appellate court noted that while a retrial would ordinarily have been the appropriate remedy, such a move would serve no useful purpose since the main issue had become academic.
The Court of Appeal also affirmed the suspension of A.K. Ajibade and, by extension, Sam Anyanwu and others, holding that Ajibade lacked the authority to act on behalf of the party.
The Interim National Working Committee said the judgment effectively nullifies the earlier decision of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, which had been relied upon by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in recognising the Caretaker Committee.
Following the ruling, the party’s interim leadership called on INEC to immediately withdraw recognition from the Caretaker Committee and instead recognise the duly constituted Interim National Working Committee led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN).
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