Katsina Court declares PDP congress dispute ‘internal affair’

The Katsina State High Court, presided over by Justice Abbas Bawale, has dismissed the case filed by the Dr. Mustapha Inuwa-led faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the legitimacy of the party’s congress elections conducted by the Senator Yakubu Lado-led faction.

In his ruling, Justice Bawale declared that the court lacks jurisdiction to rule on the case, referring it as “an internal matter of the party”.

The faction led by the former Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Dr Mustapha Inuwa and other PDP stalwarts, was seeking to among other things, the annulment of the election of the party’s officials and for the Court to order fresh Party congresses in the state.

Justice Bawale however in his ruling has told the plaintiffs that the whole matter is an internal affair which should be resolved within the party.

“The matter is supposed to be resolved within the party. It’s an internal affair. Where the court is involved is when the election involves different parties contesting a position of authority.” Bawale said.

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Earlier in August last year, the PDP in the state led by Senator Lado, the 2023 governorship candidate of the party, conducted party congresses which led to the emergence of the new officials of the party from ward to state levels.

But the court presided over by Justice Abbas Bawale after listening to submissions by the counsel of both the plaintiff and the defendant adjourned the matter to this day Friday 10th January 2025 for ruling.

He also gave the counsel an earlier date to determine the preliminary objection and the substantive suit in the case, prior to the adjourned date for the ruling.

In his reaction to the ruling today, counsel to the plaintiffs Barrister Mustafa Shitu Mahuta said, they are going to appeal arguing that the court which said it lacks jurisdiction to hear the case has earlier agreed on some of the issues they raised.

“There are some states which have the same problem like ours, where some people were denied the right to contest in the congresses and the courts in those states have annulled the congresses, therefore why should our case be treated differently? We are going to appeal to the Court? Mustafa said.

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