A renowned Lagos-based lawyer, Liborous Oshoma, has underscored the importance of jurisdiction in judicial proceedings following the Supreme Court judgment judgment on the leadership tussle of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The judgment was widely seen as favouring the camp aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking in an interview on TVC News, Oshoma described jurisdiction as the foundation upon which every legal action stands, warning that any proceeding conducted without it is fundamentally defective.
“Jurisdiction is the lifeblood of any case. Once a court lacks jurisdiction, any decision it reaches is a nullity,” he said.
He explained that disputes arising from internal party matters, such as conventions and leadership struggles, are generally not within the jurisdiction of the courts unless there is a clear violation of the constitution or electoral laws.
“The courts have consistently held that internal affairs of political parties should be resolved within the party structure, except where there is a breach of the law,” Oshoma added.
According to the legal practitioner, the Supreme Court ruling reinforces existing legal doctrine and may discourage political actors from resorting to litigation in intra-party disputes.
Oshoma’s interpretation highlights the broader implications of the judgment, which is expected to reshape how political conflicts are managed within parties like the PDP, with greater emphasis on internal mechanisms rather than prolonged court battles.