A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Taminu Turaki has met with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja following the Federal High Court’s dismissal of a suit filed by the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) over the party’s leadership dispute.
The closed-door meeting came days after the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out the BoT’s suit seeking an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee and update the commission’s records accordingly.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, who delivered the judgment, upheld the preliminary objections raised by INEC and other defendants, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to institute the suit. The court also held that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
According to the judge, the court could not adjudicate on hypothetical or academic questions, noting that INEC had already monitored the PDP convention that produced the leadership currently recognised by the electoral commission.
Justice Ibrahim further ruled that the case sought to revisit issues that had already been determined in previous proceedings before striking out the suit.
Although neither the PDP faction nor Jonathan officially disclosed the purpose of the meeting, party sources said the discussions focused on the implications of the court’s decision and the future of the party amid its prolonged internal crisis.
According to the source, the delegation briefed the former president on the outcome of the court case and sought his views on possible steps towards resolving the party’s leadership challenges.
