The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki has brushed aside the judgment of a Federal High Court in Ibadan delivered on Friday, declaring that the ruling poses no setback to its leadership and announcing plans to immediately challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
Reacting to the judgment, the party acknowledged the outcome of the proceedings but insisted that the decision did not amount to a final resolution of the leadership dispute within the party.
In a statement issued in Abuja by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party said it had taken note of the ruling but maintained that the court merely declined to grant the order of mandamus sought.
“We are aware of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, delivered this morning, which essentially declined to grant the order of mandamus sought on the ground that doing so would, in the court’s view, amount to sitting on appeal over judgments of courts of coordinate jurisdiction,” the statement said.
The party described the ruling as a procedural development rather than a substantive defeat, stressing that the core issues regarding the leadership and legitimacy of the party remain unresolved and subject to determination by higher courts.
According to the statement, the PDP has already activated its legal processes to ensure a prompt appeal. “We have accordingly briefed our lawyers to immediately file an appeal and to take all further legal steps necessary to advance our arguments and firmly protect our position on this matter,” it added.
The Turaki-led faction insisted that the judgment does not diminish the authority of the leadership that emerged from the Ibadan National Convention, maintaining that its structures remain intact pending a definitive pronouncement by the appellate courts.
The party further argued that the ruling neither nullified the Ibadan Convention nor extinguished the claims it is pursuing through lawful means, urging members and supporters to remain calm and united.
“There is no cause for panic or retreat,” the party said, assuring its faithful nationwide that the legal and political contest is far from over.
Reaffirming its political direction, the PDP declared that its REBIRTH movement remains firmly on course, vowing to pursue both its legal challenge and broader reform agenda as the leadership tussle shifts to the appellate courts.
