Justice Abdullahi Bawa-Faskari of the Katsina State High Court on Wednesday dismissed the lawsuit aimed at removing Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum from his position as the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ibrahim Musa, a member of the opposition PDP, filed the suit, arguing that Damagum’s appointment violated the party’s constitutional provisions following the replacement of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
The plaintiff contended that Ayu’s successor should originate from the North-Central geopolitical zone, where the former PDP national chairman hailed from.
However, Justice Bawa-Faskari ruled against the suit, designated as number KTH/74/24, citing it as a matter solely concerning the party’s internal affairs, thereby placing it outside the court’s jurisdiction.
He upheld the preliminary objections raised by the first and second defendants, asserting that “the matter is not justiciable, as it falls entirely within the internal affairs of the party and the court has no jurisdiction.”
In response to the ruling, the respondent’s counsel, Isaac Nwachukwu, praised the court’s decision, emphasizing that it recognized the lack of jurisdiction over the case.
Contrarily, the plaintiff’s counsel, Abdullahi Abdulkadir, pledged to appeal the ruling at the Court of Appeal after reviewing the certified copy of the judgment.
