The Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its planned national convention, which was scheduled to take place in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16.
Delivering judgment, Justice James Omotosho ruled in favour of three aggrieved members of the party who challenged the legality of the convention. The court found that the PDP had breached several key provisions, including sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines and the party’s own constitution.
According to the judgment, the party failed to properly conduct valid state congresses before proceeding to organize the national convention to elect its national officers.
Justice Omotosho ordered the PDP to “put its house in order” and issue the mandatory 21-day notice to INEC before attempting to hold the convention again.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by Hon. Austin Nwachukwu (Chairman, Imo PDP), Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna (Chairman, Abia PDP), and Turnah Alabh George (Secretary, PDP South-South).
The defendants in the case include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, its National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, and national officers Ali Odefa and Emmanuel Ogidi, alongside the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC).
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho dismissed preliminary objections raised by the defendants who had argued that the matter was purely an internal party affair beyond the court’s jurisdiction.
With the judgment, the PDP must resolve the internal irregularities highlighted by the court before it can proceed with its planned national convention.
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