A Court of Appeal siting in Abuja yesterday reserved judgment in the nine appeals filed by the two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the decisions the Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

A three-member panel of the appellate court reserved the verdict after counsel to the parties in the appeals adopted their briefs and made final submissions.

The court said the parties would be informed when the judgments are ready.

The appeals, are principally against the decisions by Justices James Omotosho, Joyce Abdulmalik and Peter Lifu of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

The two factions, led by the disputed National Chairman, Saminu Turaki (SAN), and National Caretaker Committee Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed, are locked in protracted litigations over the party leadership.

Turaki, who was elected at the controversial national convention at Ibadan, is challenging the judgment that declared the exercise null and void and recognised the Mohammed/Anyanwu faction.

Following the judgment, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has invited Mohammed and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, to the parley with leaders of political parties.

Justice Omotosho and Justice Lifu had restrained the PDP from proceeding with the national convention scheduled for Ibadan on November 15 and 16 last year on the grounds that the party failed to comply with necessary legal provisions.

Justice Omotosho delivered a judgment on the suit by three aggrieved members of the party – Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman) and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South)

Justice Lifu gave judgment on the suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, who claimed to have been denied the right to contest the party’s chairmanship position at the convention.

Yesterday, counsel to the appellants, Chris Uche (SAN), prayed the court to allow the appeals filed by his clients and set aside the judgments appealed against.

But counsel to the respondents, Joseph Daudu (SAN), urged the court to reject the appeal and affirmed the decisions of the Federal High Court.

In view of the volume of the appeals, the number of lawyers and the various issues raised, the proceedings that commenced a little after 9am on closed at about 7 pm. (The Nation)

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