Mato further stated that any faction operating under the PDP platform without additional judicial validation may eventually have to defend its legitimacy in court. He emphasized that the Supreme Court’s judgment does not grant any group the authority to act as the sole representative of the party. “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,” he said.
He added that if aspirants choose to proceed with forms from a particular faction, they do so knowing the risks involved. “They have their reason why they are doing that (selling form). They know probably what they intend to achieve,” Mato said. “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.”
Despite the urgency of the INEC deadline, Mato believes reconciliation is unlikely, raising concerns about the legal standing of candidates emerging from factional processes. He concluded that any faction continuing to operate under the PDP name without further court backing may have to face legal scrutiny. The outcome of this leadership impasse could have lasting implications for the party’s electoral prospects and Nigeria’s broader political landscape.
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