Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has frowned at Friday’s judgment of Justice James Omotosho of Federal High Court, Abuja, stopping the party’s national convention, describing the verdict as ‘the joke of the century, open recipe for anarchy and a display of judicial brigandage.’
It would be recalled that the convention is scheduled to hold on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Justice Omotosho, while giving his ruling, averred that evidence adduced before him established that PDP failed to comply with provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as its own (PDP) Constitution.
He declared that the party also failed to conduct valid state congresses before it moved to hold the convention to elect its national officers.
George, who is also the Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, in a statement made available to newsmen, disagreed with the ruling, warning that such a verdict would consume the country if allowed to go unchecked, calling on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekereekun, and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to call Justice Omotosho to order.
The PDP chieftain, while making the call, further warned that any judgment capable of leading to a breakdown of law and order should be avoided, querying what power Omotosho had to order the PDP not to have its national convention.
‘This judgment will consume this country. It is high time the judge put down his wig and gown to join politics. What is going on? This doesn’t make any sense at all.
‘I call on the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council to call this judge to order. Any judgment capable of leading to a breakdown of law and order should be avoided. What power does he have to order PDP not to have its National Convention? Has the judiciary gone to the dogs?
‘During all our congresses leading to this convention, INEC officials were present. The electoral body witnessed the procedure. They took notes. INEC is not complaining. The judge did not even call INEC officials to cross-check facts, and tell him what they witnessed during our congresses. So, why is the judge complaining? Does he have a political interest?
‘What type of judgment is this? Are we still in a democracy? We have to be careful in this country. The CJN and NJC should monitor some of these judges before they set our democracy on fire.
‘PDP is the oldest and most experienced party in the country today. Since 1998, when we formed this party, we have always followed the law during our congresses and conventions. So, nobody should teach us what we already know,’ George cautioned.
George lamented that the judiciary was being used to truncate democracy in the largest black-populated country in the world, dismissing all the grounds adduced for the judgment, even as he pointedly declared that it wasn’t the prerogative of the court to dabble into the internal affairs of a political party in managing its affairs as entrenched in its internal dynamics and Constitution.