A federal high court in Abuja has restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from conducting its national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the party did not comply with several statutory provisions before fixing the convention dates.
According to the judge, evidence presented showed the PDP failed to hold valid state congresses in line with the 1999 Constitution, the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and its own constitution.
Omotosho held that notices and official letters issued by the PDP national chairman without the co-signature of the national secretary were “invalid” and amounted to a “breach of the law”.
He further faulted the party for failing to give INEC the required 21-day notice before organising meetings or congresses, a lapse he said hindered the commission from performing its monitoring duties.
The court declared that the PDP’s failure to observe these legal requirements rendered its planned convention unlawful and directed the party to address the irregularities before convening the event.
Consequently, INEC was restrained from accepting, publishing, or recognising any outcome from the proposed convention until the PDP fulfils all mandatory conditions.
Justice Omotosho also dismissed preliminary objections by the defendants who argued that the case concerned the party’s internal affairs, ruling instead that the matter carried “clear legal implications”.
The suit — marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025 — was filed by Austine Nwachukwu, chairman of the PDP in Imo State; Amah Abraham Nnanna, Abia State chairman; and Turnah George, the party’s south-south secretary.
Listed as defendants were INEC, the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu (national secretary), Umar Bature (national organising secretary), the party’s national working committee (NWC), and its national executive committee (NEC).
The plaintiffs, said to be allies of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), are contesting the legality of the scheduled convention and seeking to prevent the party from proceeding with it
