On Wednesday, October 2, Justice Abdullahi Bawa-Faskari of the Katsina State High Court dismissed a case seeking to remove Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The case, brought by PDP member Ibrahim Musa, argued that Damagum’s appointment was unconstitutional, claiming that former National Chairman Dr. Iyorchia Ayu’s replacement should have been from the North-Central region, where Ayu is from.
However, Justice Bawa-Faskari ruled that the matter falls under the internal affairs of the PDP, making it outside the court’s jurisdiction. He upheld the objection raised by the defendants, stating the case was “not justiciable” as it concerned party matters.
“The matter is not justiciable, being one which falls entirely within the internal affairs of the party, and the court has no jurisdiction,” the judge said.
The defendants’ lawyer, Isaac Nwachukwu, praised the ruling, noting that the case had no legal grounds. On the other hand, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Abdullahi Abdulkadir, expressed disappointment and promised to appeal the decision.
This legal challenge followed the replacement of Ayu with Damagum after Ayu’s suspension in 2023, a move some PDP members saw as necessary for party stability.