The e-registration exercise conducted by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has been nullified on Wednesday by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja Nigeria’s capital.
Gatekeepers News reports that PDP Chairman Etsako East & Anor, Umoru E. Vincent in a suit no FCT/HC/CV/3257/2021, challenged the party in court for adopting e-registration in enlisting new members of the party.
The Court found that the two issues for determination formulated by the PDP which differ from the questions contained in the Originating Summons are incompetent and were accordingly discountenanced.
On the issue of jurisdiction raised by the Defendant, the Court held that matters bordering on the interpretation and operation of the Constitution of a political party, especially where the party is alleged to have acted outside the provisions of the said Constitution, are within the jurisdiction of the Court.
On the merit of the case, the Court held that the electronic registration process introduced by Defendant runs contrary to its Constitution as it imposes an additional requirement on the members of its party, both old and new.
The Court also held that the introduction of Voters Identification Number (VIN) as a condition precedent to membership registration is equally contrary to the provisions of the Defendants Constitution.
Consequently, the Court resolved all the questions formulated for determination by the Claimants in favour of the Claimants and granted all the reliefs sought in the Originating Summons.
