The Court of Appeal of Nigeria has dismissed an appeal filed by Kabiru Turaki and his group, affirming the earlier judgment of the Federal High Court of Nigeria which nullified the controversial Ibadan convention.
The appellate court delivered the ruling through a three-member panel chaired by Mohammed Ambi-Usi Danjuma, with Okechukwu Onyemenam and Muhammed Mustapha as members.
In a unanimous decision, the court dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of N2 million against the appellants.
The court held that the earlier judgment of the Federal High Court, which nullified the Ibadan convention, was valid and should stand.
In its ruling, the appellate court further clarified that when a political party fails or refuses to conduct its congresses or conventions in accordance with its constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act of Nigeria, such matters can no longer be treated as the party’s internal affairs.
According to the court, such violations make the process subject to judicial review.
The panel emphasized that any congress or convention conducted in breach of a party’s constitution and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act cannot stand in the eyes of the law, noting that such actions undermine internal party democracy and the legal framework regulating political parties in the country.
