A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, today granted parties involved in the dispute over the elective convention of the Peoples Democratic Party permission to pursue an out-of-court settlement.
The panel, led by Justice Biobele Georgewill, subsequently adjourned the case indefinitely to allow both sides to work toward resolving the matter amicably.
Justice Georgewill urged the legal representatives of all parties in the case to prioritise a peaceful resolution in the interest of the party.
He also reminded them to take into account the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 general elections.
The dispute stems from the party’s elective convention held in Ibadan, which had earlier been invalidated by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Monday.
The court had ruled in favour of a decision made by the party’s disciplinary committee concerning some of its members.
However, a separate ruling by Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan had earlier affirmed the validity of the same convention.
The case was initiated by Folahan Adelabi through Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Musibau Adetunmbi.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, Justice Georgewill directed all parties to meet either individually or collectively to resolve the issues pending before the appellate court.
He added that the court should be formally notified in writing of the outcome of the discussions, whether an agreement is reached or not.
All motions currently before the appellate court regarding the PDP convention were also adjourned indefinitely.
Speaking after the session, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Sunday Ibrahim said the parties had agreed to attempt a settlement following the court’s advice.
He noted that further comments were being withheld to avoid jeopardising the negotiation process.
Adetunmbi also confirmed that all related motions had been adjourned indefinitely to allow the settlement discussions to proceed.
