The unresolved leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reverberated again on Saturday as the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Abdulrahman Mohammed criticised lawyers for allegedly giving wrong interpretations to the latest judgment by the Court of Appeal on the crisis.

The party sought the intervention of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to investigate the actions of such lawyers with a view to penalising them.

This came as findings indicated that both the NWC and the Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) still failed to open any workable discussions on reconciliation or compromises to end the lingering disagreement.

The appeal court’s verdict, which also in part reflected the April 30 judgment of the Supreme Court on the crisis, was embraced by each camp as bestowing legitimacy on it to the exclusion of the other.

The Mohammed-led NWC, which is backed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, expressed worries that officials in the INWC reportedly twisted the judgment of the appeal court merely to continue in the minds of party faithful and Nigerians.

The National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, while reacting on Saturday, noted that Comrade Ini Ememobong, in a June 3, 2026 comment on the judgment, gave interpretations that were not in alignment with the appeal court’s decision.

Incidentally, Ememobong, a lawyer, is also the National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led INWC.

Mohammed described the alleged distortion as an attack on both the integrity of the judiciary and the administration of justice in Nigeria, urging the NBA and the LPDC to take necessary disciplinary measures against him.

He stated, “The Certified True Copy of the judgment speaks for itself and leaves no room for the false narratives currently being circulated across the media and social media platforms.”

Stating further, the NWC insisted that the appellate court did not invalidate the legality or constitutionality of the party’s caretaker committee from which the current National Working Committee emerged. Instead, the party said the court dismissed the appeal on the grounds that it was academic and sought to relitigate issues already determined by superior courts.

The NWC argued that the judgment of the Federal High Court in Ibadan delivered on January 30, 2026, therefore remained valid, binding and enforceable, rejecting claims that the appellate court made pronouncements concerning Khamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) or Senator Samuel Anyanwu, both the Legal Adviser and National Secretary of the party respectively.

Similarly, the NWC raised the alarm over the alleged circulation of doctored excerpts of the court ruling on social media, stating that portions highlighted and presented as part of the judgment did not emanate from the court as being portrayed.

The PDP therefore called on security agencies and relevant regulatory authorities to investigate the source of the documents and bring anyone found culpable to book.

The NWC noted that lawyers bore a special responsibility to uphold the integrity of the judicial process, warning that deliberate misrepresentation of court decisions could erode public confidence in the judiciary and heighten political tensions.

The PDP also called on media organisations to exercise caution in reporting judicial matters, urging journalists and editors to verify court documents and seek proper legal interpretation before publishing reports capable of misleading the public.

Describing the judiciary as the “last hope of the common man,” the NWC insisted that court judgments must be faithfully represented and protected from manipulation by individuals pursuing partisan interests.

The NWC appealed to the public, party members and stakeholders to disregard claims that the Court of Appeal had invalidated the present National Working Committee, reiterating its support for the leadership of Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu. (Nigerian Tribune)

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