Dare Babalola
The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday adjourned proceedings in the legal dispute surrounding the elective convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan.
The court also granted the parties leave to resolve the dispute amicably outside the courtroom.
It stated that if the parties fail to reach a settlement, they are free to return to the court for further proceedings.
The panel of justices encouraged both sides to pursue an amicable settlement. According to the court, the parties are free to return for further legal proceedings if they fail to reach an agreement through dialogue.
During the sitting, the justices advised lawyers representing the parties to properly guide their clients toward a peaceful resolution.
The court stressed that political disputes within parties should, where possible, be resolved through internal mechanisms rather than prolonged litigation.
The panel also reminded counsel to be conscious of time. The justices pointed to the recently released timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that ongoing legal battles could affect preparations for upcoming electoral activities.
The dispute stems from disagreements over the PDP elective convention conducted in Ibadan. The convention produced Kabiru Turaki (SAN) as the party’s National Chairman. However, the legitimacy of that convention has been contested by rival factions within the party.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had earlier nullified the same Ibadan convention.
The ruling effectively invalidated the process that produced Turaki as chairman and deepened the leadership crisis within the opposition party.
