Court clears PDP to hold November national convention
The Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has given the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the green light to proceed with its elective national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, despite an escalating leadership struggle within the opposition party.
In a ruling delivered by Justice A. L. Akintola, the court granted an interim order permitting the convention to hold as planned in Ibadan. The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to attend and monitor the exercise pending the hearing of the substantive application.
The order stemmed from an ex parte motion filed by Folahan Adelabi, who sought to prevent the party’s leadership from altering or disrupting the timetable and guidelines for the convention. Justice Akintola found that the claimant established sufficient grounds for immediate judicial intervention and granted the requested relief.
The matter was adjourned to November 10 for the hearing of the motion on notice.
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The Ibadan ruling, issued on November 3 and signed by Principal Registrar S. O. Hammed, stands in contrast to a decision delivered days earlier by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja. In that judgement, the Abuja court halted the planned 2025 PDP national convention until the party complies with statutory provisions and internal regulations governing such gatherings. INEC was also restrained from accepting the outcome of any convention held outside those requirements.
The PDP rejected the Abuja court’s ruling, insisting that it retains the authority to continue preparations for the convention. National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba described the judgement as an affront to democratic processes and said the party had instructed its legal team to appeal.
While the legal battles continue, the party’s internal crisis intensified on Monday at its Abuja headquarters. Abdulrahman Mohammed, a former North Central vice chairman, arrived at the secretariat and announced he had assumed office as acting national chairman. He was accompanied by supporters and addressed a crowd outside the premises.
Mohammed’s emergence followed a decision by the Samuel Anyanwu-led National Working Committee (NWC) declaring him acting national chairman after suspending the party’s substantive chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Publicity Secretary Ologunagba.
Damagum’s camp issued its own countermeasures over the weekend, suspending National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, and several other principal officers. Anyanwu’s faction responded by announcing suspensions of Damagum, Ologunagba and four additional NWC members, further entrenching the split.
As Mohammed resumed at the party’s headquarters on Monday, Damagum and officials aligned with him were absent, underscoring the extent of the parallel power centres now operating within the PDP.
