Justice Biobele Georgewill, led a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, granted all parties involved in the elective convention of the Peoples Democratic Party leave to settle.
The matter has, therefore, been adjourned sine die on the resolution of the counsel to both parties to proceed with the settlement process.
He admonished the counsel of all the parties represented in the suit and the appellate counsel to seek a peaceful resolution of the case in the interests of the party.
Our correspondent reports that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had, on Monday, invalidated the Elective Convention of the party held in Ibadan, the state capital.
The Court, in its ruling, upheld the Disciplinary Committee’s decision regarding some of its members.
Also, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan had, in its ruling, validated the party’s convention held in Ibadan.
The case was instituted by Folahan Adelabi through the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Musibau Adetunmbi.
However, Georgewill, at the sitting on Wednesday, urged the parties involved to be mindful of the timetable set by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 general elections.
According to him, “The Court has granted leave for settlement in this matter. Also, the case has been adjourned sine die to allow all the parties to meet, either individually or collectively, to resolve the case pending before the appellate Court peacefully.
“All the parties involved should be mindful of the Election timetable as released by the INEC. The counsel of the various parties being represented here are in the best position to advise the parties that they are representing.
“The Court should be duly informed through writing of the decision reached, whether they agreed or disagreed on the terms of settlement. To this end, all the pending Motion on Notice on this case has been adjourned sine die,” he submitted.
Meanwhile, all counsel, in their various submissions, aligned with the court’s position on the matter.
Speaking on behalf of other counsel in a sideline interview, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sunday Ibrahim, said the parties have shown their willingness to settle, and the Court has adjourned the matter sine die for the parties to attempt settlement and if they do report back to court.
“On that note, we make no further comment because the same may prejudice the envisioned settlement. The parties involved during its meetings on settlement may discuss a way out of the INEC timetable and the rest.”
On the various Motions on Notice before the Appellate Court, Musibau Adetunmbi said the Court has adjourned all the cases relating to the PDP Elective Convention sine die.
