Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr Sam Amadi, has maintained that the Peoples Democratic Party convention remains lawful and enforceable despite the confusion created by earlier conflicting court orders.
Speaking on Saturday during an interview with Arise News, Amadi said the last court directive issued before the convention expressly permitted it to proceed, thereby rendering previous contradictory rulings irrelevant.
The analyst blamed the controversy surrounding the party’s leadership crisis on what he described as the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission to act decisively as a regulator, as well as the tendency of courts to issue “contradictory and unnecessary” ex parte orders.
He argued that the convention was conducted within the law and supported by the latest judicial position.
“This convention has legalisation,” Amadi declared.
“If I recall, the latest decision that came in on Friday was in favour of the convention. So you can’t say it’s not legal. Unfortunately, we have courts authorising and counter authorising actions, and that is the real problem,” he said.
Amadi said the development reflected a broader national trend where political actors seek favourable injunctions rather than follow established processes.
He also faulted INEC for what he described as its reluctance to exercise its quasi judicial mandate, insisting that the commission ought to verify party leadership filings before the courts get involved.
He noted that available records affirm the legitimacy of the current Board of Trustees, which he said had been functional for over three years and could not be casually displaced.
Addressing claims that the Supreme Court bars judicial intervention in party affairs, Amadi clarified that the ruling only prevents courts from choosing party officers, not from determining whether a party complies with its own rules.
He also commented on the expulsion of several high profile members, stressing the need for due process and questioning the commitment of individuals allegedly aligned with rival political groups.