Court grants PDP factions leave to settle convention dispute out of court

The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday granted factions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) permission to resolve their dispute over the party’s elective convention through an out-of-court settlement.

Justice Biobele Georgewill, who led a three-man panel of the appellate court, approved the request by counsel representing the parties to pursue an amicable resolution of the matter. The court subsequently adjourned the case sine die to allow both sides to continue settlement discussions.

Georgewill urged the legal representatives and the parties involved to prioritise a peaceful resolution in the interest of the party, while also keeping in mind the timetable already released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general elections.

“The Court has granted leave for settlement in this matter. Also, the case has been adjourned sine die to allow all the parties to meet, either individually or collectively, to resolve the case pending before the appellate Court peacefully,” the judge said.

He added that all parties should be mindful of the election timetable, noting that their counsel were in the best position to guide them on the implications of the dispute.

“The Court should be duly informed through writing of the decision reached, whether they agreed or disagreed on the terms of settlement. To this end, all the pending Motion on Notice on this case has been adjourned sine die,” Georgewill stated.

The development comes after the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja earlier ruled on Monday to invalidate the PDP elective convention held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. In that ruling, the appellate court upheld the decision of the party’s Disciplinary Committee concerning some of its members.

However, prior to the Abuja ruling, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan had validated the same convention.

The case before the appellate court was filed by Folahan Adelabi through Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Musibau Adetunmbi.

Speaking after Wednesday’s proceedings, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sunday Ibrahim, said the parties had demonstrated willingness to settle the matter outside the courtroom.

“The parties have shown their willingness to settle, and the Court has adjourned the matter sine die for the parties to attempt settlement and, if they do, report back to court,” he said.

Ibrahim declined to comment further, noting that additional remarks could affect the settlement process.

“We make no further comment because the same may prejudice the envisioned settlement. The parties involved during its meetings on settlement may discuss a way out of the INEC timetable and the rest,” he added.

Adetunmbi also confirmed that all motions relating to the PDP elective convention dispute before the Court of Appeal had been adjourned indefinitely to allow for the settlement process.