An Abuja High Court on Friday ordered the Kawu Baraje-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party to desist from parading itself as a parallel faction of the ruling party.

The court also recognised the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee of the party as the authentic leadership of the party.

Mr. Tukur and other members of the National Working Committee, NWC, who were elected at the Special National Convention on August 31, had instituted the case seeking to restrain Mr. Baraje and two others from parading themselves as executive members of the party.

The others are the factional deputy National Chairman, Sam Jaja, and factional National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola. A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who is a member of the faction, was also joined in the suit.

The ruling by the court came a week after a High Court sitting in Lagos dismissed a suit filed by the Baraje faction against the Bamanga Tukur-led leadership of the party.

Justice Adefope Okojie dismissed the suit on the grounds that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter because it originated outside its territorial jurisdiction.

The Baraje faction had approached the court on September 1 , asking it to restrain Mr. Tukur and three other officials of his faction- namely Uche Secondus, Kema Chikwe, and Olisa Metuh, who are the Deputy National Chairman, Woman Leader, and National Publicity Secretary respectively, from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

The decision of the Lagos court followed the preliminary objection filed by counsels to Mr. Tukur- Joe Kyari-Gadzama, and Emeka Etiaba.

Premium Times