The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday said it would abide by the ruling of the court with respect to the dispute in the Plateau State chapter of the party.

This was contained in a statement titled: “PDP Abides By Court Ruling on Plateau,” signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja, on Saturday.

The party’s National Working Committee had extended the tenure of the Yakubu Chocho-led Caretaker Committee of the PDP after its tenure ended in August.

The PDP on Saturday said it would be guided by the decision of the court.

Ologbondiyan said, “As a law-abiding party, the PDP receives the decision of the court in the spirit of collective effort to deepen our national democratic process and strengthen our party for the task ahead.

“The national leadership of the PDP therefore urges all our members and teeming supporters to remain calm and continue to work together in our usual spirit of sportsmanship, particularly as we work hard for the success of our great party in the forthcoming senatorial bye-election in the state.

“This is especially as the people of Plateau State and indeed, the nation at large, are looking up to our party at all levels to rescue our nation from the misrule of the APC.”

Justice S P Gang of the Plateau state High Court  had on November 26 ruled that it was  unconstitutional and illegal for the National Secretariat of the PDP to extend the  tenure of the Yakubu Chocho-led Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Plateau State chapter beyond August 10, 2020.

The ruling was pursuant to a suit filed by a former member of the House of Representatives, Bitrus Kaze, and eleven others against the PDP and 24 others challenging, among other issues, the reappointment of Chocho (2nd defendant) as chairman and other members as caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the PDP in Plateau State for another period of three months after the expiration of the initial three months on August 10, 2020.

Having declared the extension of tenure of the PDP Caretaker Committee for Plateau beyond August 10, 2020 as null and void, the court further gave an  order directing the PDP to take all steps to conduct election for the PDP executive committee members for the state in accordance with the combined provisions of sections 223(1) (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) and section 85(3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) Article 49(1) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party and paragraphs 5.2-5.5 of the guidelines for the conduct of the congresses.

The court also gave an order that plaintiffs should not be excluded from the election.