Cynthia Ezegwu
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday refused to grant an interim order sought by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, to restrain the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its planned national convention.
Justice Peter Lifu, in a ruling on the ex parte motion filed by Lamido, instead directed the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to appear before the court within 72 hours to show cause why the reliefs sought by the plaintiff should not be granted.
Lamido, through his counsel, Jeph Njikonye (SAN), had prayed the court to stop the convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, pending the hearing of his substantive suit.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2299/2025, sought an interim injunction restraining the PDP from proceeding with the convention and barring INEC from monitoring or recognising it.
In the motion filed on October 28, Lamido argued that the PDP’s planned convention breached its constitution and could deny him the opportunity to contest for the position of national chairman.
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He maintained that his application was to preserve the subject matter of the suit and prevent the party from taking actions that could render the court’s eventual decision ineffective.
Justice Lifu, however, held that the defendants must be given the opportunity to respond before any restraining order could be made. He adjourned the matter till November 6 for hearing.
Lamido, a founding member of the PDP and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, governed Jigawa State from 2007 to 2015. He has remained an influential voice within the party, often commenting on issues of internal democracy and leadership.
The PDP, Nigeria’s main opposition party, has faced a series of internal disputes since the 2023 general elections, with several factions vying for control ahead of the upcoming national convention.