By Henry Umoru
ABUJA—A presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Sani Aminu Dutsima, disclosed yesterday that they were appealing against last Tuesday’s ruling by  Abuja High Court.

Addressing newsmen, Dutsima, who noted that they were happy with some parts of the judgment against the backdrop that they won about  seventy percent of what they asked for, said: “I think I can say we are happy with some part of the pronouncement.    “Unfortunately, the court did not go further to effect that decision.

We feel that any decision where a court of law uphold a position, there should be a way to enforce it and that is the duty of the court. In this regard, we have done a wide consultation with my political associates and our lawyers, and I think we are appealing the judgment.’’

It would be recalled that Dutsima had dragged the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, before the High Court where he argued through his counsel, Mr. Joseph Obialor, that the party had bastardized its constitution on zoning, as well as pave way for President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the party.

In his judgment Tuesday, Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Lawal Hassan Gunmi, held that although Article 7.2(c) of the party’s constitution of 2009 as amended, recognised the principle of zoning, but that the power to nominate and sponsor candidates to an election was vested in a political party.

Speaking further, Dutsima said “I will like to say that the court case I instituted at FCT is primarily for morality, integrity, fairness and unity of this nation. It has very little to do with north and south. I will say that as a member of a political party, there is no doubt that we have agreed for zoning and rotation and I think we are honour-bound to honour it.

“It is not about merit or demerit of zoning, it is a matter of honour, integrity and respect for what we have agreed. Subsequently we went to court and yesterday there was a pronouncement. Principally we asked for the interpretation of section 7.2 c of the constitution of PDP and I am happy that the judge said it is subsisting and binding on all members and organs of the party.

“If the law should say this is binding and subsisting within our system, I think it is the responsibility of the legal system to find a way to enforce it and I think it is not just enough for a judge to tell me that I have a right and at the same time not be able to tell me how to enforce it.

That is the main decision we have taken that we are appealing this judgment. It an honour for Nigeria for people to employ civilized means to solve their political difference.

“That court should not dabble into internal affairs of parties and how come did the NPFL did not recognized you at all in the consensus arrangement?

“The ruling of Supreme Court on the internal affairs of parties is not the area of our concern. Our area of concern is the interpretation of the PDP constitution which the court has already pronounced as binding on PDP and anything that is subsisting and binding, there should be a way of enforcing it. What we are saying is that there is a law on zoning, it must be respected.

On the consensus, the Presidential aspirant who congratulated Atiku Abubakar on his emergence said it was designed for four persons, just as he stressed that he refused to join, adding, “it is agreement between just four individuals and whoever wish to join them can do so. Whoever does not wish may not join them. It is a free association.

The PDP advertised for the sales of form for the post of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So the issue of consensus is not binding on every aspirants. It is a decision of four individual who freely come together.’’