Appellate Court Affirms Contempt Ruling Against PDP Following Sule Lamido’s Convention Exclusion

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has validated a prior ruling that penalized the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for sidelining former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, during its Ibadan national convention.

This decision supports the initial judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, which had explicitly barred the party from holding its November 15–16 gathering unless Lamido was permitted to run for the national chairmanship.

A three-judge panel reached a unanimous verdict, labeling the party’s decision to move forward with the convention—despite a standing court order—as a contemptuous act. The justices pointed out that there was no question that the PDP was aware of the directive to include Lamido, yet chose to proceed regardless. The court characterized this move as a blatant sign of disrespect toward the judicial system.

During the proceedings, the PDP attempted to argue that it was merely following a different ruling from a separate court of equal standing. However, the appellate court rejected this justification, stating firmly that litigants do not have the authority to decide which judicial orders are convenient to follow and which can be ignored. The panel noted that the proper legal course of action would have been to secure a stay of execution or appeal the order before the convention date.

Ultimately, the appellate court found that the lower court was well within its rights to hear Lamido’s case and grant his requests for relief. By dismissing the PDP’s appeal for a total lack of merit, the court also imposed a ₦2 million fine on the party to cover legal costs.