The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has hailed the judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, which affirmed the suspension of the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and other officials by the National Working Committee.
The party, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, on Monday in Benin, described the ruling as a major victory for party supremacy, institutional discipline and the rule of law within the PDP.
According to Osa-Ogbegie, the judgment has reaffirmed the authority of the National Working Committee to enforce the provisions of the PDP constitution and take disciplinary actions against members found to have violated the party’s rules.
The Edo PDP noted that the decision of the appellate court had sent a clear signal that no individual, regardless of status or position within the party, could operate above the constitutional framework guiding the PDP.
The statement read, “The ruling is a major victory for party supremacy, institutional discipline and the rule of law within the PDP.
“It is a moral and political victory for loyal party members across the country who have remained committed to protecting the integrity and unity of the party.”
The party alleged that certain individuals had in recent months attempted to destabilise the PDP through internal actions aimed at frustrating legitimate leadership structures and creating confusion within the party.
It added that the judgment had now reaffirmed the supremacy of the PDP constitution in regulating the conduct of party officers and ensuring discipline within its ranks.
The Edo PDP congratulated the National Working Committee and faithful members of the party nationwide, urging members to remain united and committed to rebuilding and strengthening the party ahead of future political engagements.
Earlier on Monday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a unanimous decision delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, the appellate court dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the PDP led by a former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, which had challenged the jurisdiction of the lower court to entertain the suit.
In its ruling, the Court of Appeal affirmed that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction to hear the suit, rejecting the argument that the dispute was merely an internal affair of the party.
The court held that the appellants could not “repackage a clear violation of the party constitution and that of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as an internal party affair.”
