A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Magaji Mato, has cautioned aspirants against purchasing nomination forms from factions within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying such candidates could face legal challenges following the Supreme Court judgment on the party’s leadership crisis.
Mato spoke on Friday while appearing on Arise Television’s Morning Show programme.
According to him, the Supreme Court judgment does not recognise any specific leadership faction within the PDP, making it difficult for any group to solely claim ownership or control of the party.
The senior lawyer said aspirants buying forms under any faction were doing so at their own risk, warning that the legitimacy of such candidates could be challenged in court by rival factions or other political parties.
He stated that the ideal step after the apex court ruling would have been for the PDP Board of Trustees to convene all aggrieved factions and seek reconciliation before proceeding with party activities.
Mato, however, expressed doubts that the factions would be able to reconcile before the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the submission of candidates.
He added that any faction operating under the PDP platform without further judicial backing may eventually have to defend its legitimacy in court.
Mato said: “I can guarantee you, going by the judgment of the Supreme Court, there is no any particular leadership of the party as at the time of the judgment of the Supreme Court.
“If any section or any faction is proving to be the owner of PDP without any other judgment of the court that they are relying on or depending on, as far as the judgment of the Supreme Court is concerned, it cannot salvage any of the opposition.
“So, if people are going to buy forms under a particular faction, it is their money, but definitely that will be challenged in court by the other faction, or even some other political parties that have contested the general election. They will definitely challenge their legality or the legality of their candidate.
“They have their reason why they are doing that (selling form). They know probably what they intend to achieve, but if you are to go by the judgment of the Supreme Court, what should have been done is for both sides to come together. The Board of Trustees to gather, call all the warring factions together, and then chat a way forward and move on.
“Probably if they are able to reconcile, but because of the deadline of INEC, I do not see the possibility of them also doing that, and then fielding candidates that will lawfully or legally contest election.
“If there is any faction under the name on platform of PDP after the judgment of the Supreme Court with nothing more, then I think maybe they have themselves to contest at the courts.”
