Court postpones judgment in Lamido’s PDP chairmanship exclusion suit

Court postpones judgment in Lamido’s PDP chairmanship exclusion suit.
Justice Lifu said the verdict was not ready for delivery.
A new date will be announced for the ruling.

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, failed to deliver judgment in the suit filed by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, challenging his exclusion from contesting the national chairmanship position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Justice Peter Lifu, who was scheduled to deliver the verdict, was unable to sit. Instead, the court registrar informed parties and counsel including Lamido, who was present in court that the judgment was “not ready” and that a new date for its delivery would be communicated soon.

The development came just two days after Justice Lifu granted an interim order restraining the PDP from conducting its planned national convention pending the determination of Lamido’s substantive suit. The court had also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to participate in or recognise any activity or outcome from the convention.

In the earlier ruling, Justice Lifu described Lamido’s application as meritorious, holding that the evidence before the court showed that the PDP failed to publish a timetable for the convention as required by law. He said the balance of convenience favoured Lamido and that excluding him from the process would cause “irreparable harm.”

During Tuesday’s proceedings, counsel for the parties — Jeph Njikonye, SAN (for Lamido); Omokayode Dada, SAN (for PDP); Joseph Daudu, SAN (for the joined parties); and INEC’s counsel all adopted their final written addresses and presented arguments for and against the matter.