By Abuja, Nigeria
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal filed by Turaki and his associates, affirming the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court which nullified the disputed convention held in Ibadan.
The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel chaired by Justice Mohammed Ambi-Usi Danjuma, with Justice Okechukwu Onyemenam and Justice Muhammed Mustapha as members, dismissed the appeal and imposed a fine of N2 million on the appellants. In its decision, the court upheld the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court which declared the convention invalid.
The panel held that when a political party conducts its congresses or conventions in violation of its constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act, such matters cannot be treated as purely internal affairs of the party.
According to the court, actions that contravene a party’s constitution and the Electoral Act are subject to judicial scrutiny, as they undermine internal party democracy and the legal framework regulating political parties.
The judgment effectively reinforces the earlier decision that the Ibadan convention did not comply with the required legal and constitutional procedures.
