…Appeal Court Adjourns Cases Sine Die, Urges Settlement Amongst Rival Camps
By Yinka Giwa
Fresh efforts are underway within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reconcile its warring factions after months of legal disputes over the party’s elective convention, with key stakeholders signalling willingness to pursue dialogue in order to meet the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The latest push for reconciliation followed proceedings at the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, which granted all parties in the dispute leave to explore an out-of-court settlement and adjourned the case indefinitely to allow negotiations.
A three-member panel led by Justice Biobele Georgewill urged the parties to resolve their differences amicably and warned that prolonged litigation could undermine the party’s readiness for the upcoming electoral cycle.
Justice Georgewill said the court had granted leave for settlement and adjourned the case sine die to enable the disputing camps to meet, either individually or collectively, to explore peaceful resolution of the issues before the court.
“All the parties involved should be mindful of the election timetable as released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” he said, adding that the counsel representing the parties were in the best position to advise their clients on the need for compromise.
The judge directed that the court be informed in writing of the outcome of the reconciliation efforts, while all pending motions relating to the dispute were also adjourned indefinitely.
Counsel representing the various parties welcomed the court’s position. Speaking on behalf of the lawyers, Sunday Ibrahim, SAN, confirmed that the parties had agreed to attempt settlement.
“On that note, we make no further comment because it may prejudice the envisioned settlement. The parties involved in the meetings on settlement may discuss the INEC timetable and other issues,” he said.
Another counsel in the matter, Musibau Adetunmbi, SAN, also confirmed that all motions relating to the PDP elective convention had been adjourned sine die.
The dispute stems from conflicting court decisions over the party’s convention held in Ibadan.
While the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had earlier invalidated the convention and upheld disciplinary actions taken against some party members, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan had in a separate judgment earlier declared the same convention valid in a suit instituted by Folahan Malomo Adelabi.
Amid the legal wrangling, indications have emerged that both factions may now be reconsidering their positions.
A PDP chieftain, Umar Sani, hinted that reconciliation could become a viable option following deliberations between the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) faction and the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT).
According to him, the leadership meeting examined three possible pathways for resolving the crisis, including an appeal to the Supreme Court and exploring reconciliation as earlier suggested by the appellate court.
“NWC and BoT met to formulate three grounds where the party will be heading. The first is the possibility for us to go to the Supreme Court,” Sani said.
“The last one is to embrace the issue of reconciliation as propounded by the courts.”
He said the options would be discussed further at an expanded meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), where a final decision would be taken.
Sani, however, questioned the legitimacy of calls for another national convention, insisting that the faction he belongs to had already conducted one.
“We’ve had our convention. If they want to hold another convention, on what premise will they hold it?” he asked.
“The people who claim to have derived that authority have already been confirmed suspended by the appeal court. They could not have performed any other function relating to the party.”
Despite the disagreement over the convention, leading figures within the party have continued to urge compromise.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki had earlier appealed to the rival camps to bury their differences in order to ensure that the PDP remains competitive in the 2027 elections.
In a parallel development, the leadership of the faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, also called for an end to prolonged litigation and urged party members to focus on unity.
The National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, made the appeal during the 86th meeting of the Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa-led Board of Trustees in Abuja.
Mohammed said the time had come for aggrieved members to sheath their swords and work together to reposition the party ahead of the next general election.
“The court has spoken once again that the rule of law must prevail in our party’s internal affairs,” he said.
“I want to call on all party stakeholders and leaders to unite for the betterment of our party. Enough of litigation that will delay our activities towards the 2027 general election.”
He said the meeting provided an opportunity for the leadership to outline the party’s roadmap in the coming weeks, including the conduct of state congresses and preparations for a national convention.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, described the moment as critical for the PDP and urged leaders to approach the situation with wisdom and restraint.
“This gathering comes at a defining moment in the life of the PDP; one that calls not for emotion or haste, but for wisdom, institutional memory, and calm reflection,” he said.
Ohuabunwa said the party had already conducted ward and local government congresses across the country, describing the exercises as largely peaceful and reflective of the PDP’s democratic culture.
He expressed optimism that the state congresses scheduled for the weekend would further strengthen the party’s structures nationwide.
Preparations, he added, were also underway for the party’s national convention slated for March 29 and 30, which he said would provide an opportunity for the PDP to reaffirm its commitment to unity and democratic principles.
He also welcomed recent judgments of the Court of Appeal, which he said affirmed the legality and authority of the National Caretaker Committee led by Abdulrahman Mohammed.
“As a law-abiding political organisation, we respect the decisions of the courts and will continue to conduct our affairs in accordance with the rule of law and the provisions of our party constitution,” he said.
With both factions now signalling openness to dialogue and the courts encouraging settlement, party insiders say the coming weeks could determine whether the PDP resolves its internal crisis in time to reorganise ahead of the 2027 electoral contest.