Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday, recuse himself from hearing a suit seeking to stop the congress in Ogun State and the national Convention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The judge withdrawal was as a result of a petition written by the national body of the party against the judge.

Justice buba withdrew himself from hearing of a suit filed by the PDP Ogun state delegates to the party’s national convention against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and 31 others.

The plaintiffs are Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, Femi Alao, Hon. Daisi Akintan, Idris Muniru, Mrs. Tuke Omotara, Badejo Abiodun and Otunba Kola Akinyemi.

While the defendants are: INEC, PDP, it’s national caretaker committee, Alhaji Ahmed Markarfi, Senator Ben Obi, Barrister Tunde Odanye, Ifekayode Akinbode, Titi Oseni Gomez, Yemi Coker, Dapo Adeyemi, Yinka Kotoye, Isikalu Makinde and Lai Taiwo, Mrs. Iyabo Apampa, Soji Eweje, Lisa Badru, Mrs. Job, Engr. Adegbesan, Deji Kalejaiye, Hon. Adegbesan.

Others include: Hon. Akinhonmi, John Obafemi, Sunday Dilating, Segun Okeowo, Banky Osinsanya, Inspector-General of Police(IGP), assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Lagos, Commission of Police, Ogun State, Department of State Services, and State Security Services, Ogun state Command.

The plaintiffs had approached the court for a declaration that in the light of the provisions of Section 223, 224 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Article 33(1) of the PDP Constitution 2012, as amended, the subsisting and binding judgement of the court, made on June 24, 2016, in suit number FHC/L/CS/636/2016, and subsisting and binding order of the court made on August 10, 2017, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/701/2017, the second to fifth defendants cannot validly prevent them and other delegates of the party from Ogun State, listed in the schedule attached to its originating summons from participating a the delegates to the PDP national convention scheduled to hold on December 9, 2017, or any other date.

The plaintiffs had also sought for an order of injection restraining the first defendant (INEC) from contenancing or recognising any disciplinary action taken by second to fifth defendants to prevent them and other delegates of the party from Ogun state listed in the schedule attached to the originating summons from participating in the PDP national convention scheduled to hold on December 9,2017, or any other date during the subsistence of the tenure of office of the Ogun State Executive Committee-led by Engr. Adebayo Dayo, by any means whatsoever, including by suspension and or expulsion from the party. And many others.

At the last hearing of the matter, Justice Buba had ordered the plaintiff to put the defendants on notice, and subsequently adjourned the matter till today for hearing.

However, at the resumed of the matter today, Justice buba informed parties in the suit of his decision to withdraw from adjudicating on the suit.

Justice Buba said his decision was based on the petition written against him by a party in the suit.

Consequently, the judge told the parties that the case file will be return to the Chief Judge of the court for reassignment to another judge.