COURT SLAMS PDP: JUDGE STOPS CONVENTION OVER PARTY’S OWN LAWLESSNESS

By Ademola Adekusibe
October 31, 2025.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its planned national convention slated for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, after finding that the opposition party violated its own constitution and several electoral laws.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the PDP failed to comply with the 1999 Constitution, the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and its own internal rules in the buildup to the convention.

The court found that the party did not conduct valid state congresses in several states before fixing the national convention, a mandatory step under both INEC and PDP guidelines.

Justice Omotosho also ruled that official correspondences signed by the PDP National Chairman without the co-signature of the National Secretary were invalid, describing the practice as a clear breach of the party’s constitution.

The judge further faulted the party for failing to give the required 21-day notice to INEC before holding congresses and meetings, effectively shutting out the commission from performing its supervisory duties.

As a result, the court barred INEC from attending, monitoring, or recognising any outcome from the proposed convention until the PDP corrects the identified irregularities.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by Austine Nwachukwu, PDP Chairman in Imo State; Amah Abraham Nnanna, Chairman in Abia State; and Turnah George, South-South Secretary of the party.

They listed the PDP, INEC, National Secretary, National Organising Secretary, National Working Committee (NWC), and National Executive Committee (NEC) as defendants.

Justice Omotosho dismissed the PDP’s preliminary objection that the matter was an internal affair, holding that the violations had clear legal implications requiring judicial intervention.