Abuja, Nigeria – October 31, 2025 – In a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria's opposition politics, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an injunction halting the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) planned 2025 National Convention, scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State. The decision, delivered in a meticulously detailed three-hour judgment marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, underscores the judiciary's growing role in enforcing electoral compliance and could significantly disrupt the PDP's internal leadership transitions ahead of future polls.
The convention was poised to be a pivotal event for the PDP, Africa's largest opposition party, where delegates were expected to elect new national officers, including a potential replacement for the embattled Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum. With over 4,000 delegates anticipated, the gathering in Ibadan – a nod to the party's Southwest base – was billed as a unifying force to reposition the PDP against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). However, the court's intervention has thrown these plans into disarray, forcing the party to "put its house in order" before rescheduling.
At the heart of the suit are three aggrieved PDP members: Hon. Austin Nwachukwu, the Imo State PDP Chairman; Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna, his counterpart in Abia State; and Turnah Alabh George, the PDP Secretary for the South-South zone. The plaintiffs, representing factions frustrated by perceived irregularities in the party's buildup processes, argued that the convention would violate core provisions of the PDP's constitution, the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) guidelines for party congresses and conventions.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho meticulously dissected the evidence presented, concluding that the PDP had flouted several mandatory requirements. Foremost among these was the failure to conduct valid state-level congresses, a prerequisite for convening a national convention under Section 50 of the Electoral Act, which mandates hierarchical adherence to internal democracy. The court found that several state congresses were either skipped or marred by disputes, rendering the delegate selection process illegitimate. Additionally, the PDP neglected to issue the statutory 21-day notice to INEC for monitoring, as required by INEC's guidelines, thereby undermining the electoral body's oversight role.
A particularly damning revelation was the irregularity in official communications. The judgment highlighted that notices and correspondences for the convention were signed solely by the Acting National Chairman, Damagum, without the co-signature of National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu – a breach of the PDP's own procedural rules that stipulates joint authentication by these officers. Justice Omotosho declared such documents "null and void," emphasizing that "no political party can operate in defiance of the law that birthed it."
The court's orders were unequivocal. It restrained the PDP from proceeding with the convention until full compliance is achieved, directing the party to rectify these lapses and reissue proper notices. INEC was explicitly barred from "recognizing, accepting, or acting upon" any reports or outcomes from the event if held in violation of due process. "INEC is not a rubber stamp; it cannot validate illegality," the judge asserted, reinforcing the commission's statutory duty under Section 85 of the Electoral Act to monitor party activities.
The nine defendants in the suit – including INEC, the PDP as a corporate entity, Anyanwu, National Organizing Secretary Umar Bature, the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), Damagum, National Publicity Secretary Ali Odefa, and National Legal Adviser Emmanuel Ogidi – mounted a robust defense. PDP counsel argued that the matter was an "internal affair" unfit for judicial interference, invoking the party's autonomy under Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution. They contended that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi and that the suit was a sabotage orchestrated by anti-party elements. However, Justice Omotosho dismissed these claims, holding that electoral compliance transcends internal disputes and implicates public interest, as flawed conventions could cascade into invalid nominations for national elections.
This ruling arrives against a backdrop of deepening fissures within the PDP, which has struggled with unity since its crushing defeat in the 2023 general elections. The party, once a dominant force that produced three presidents, has been plagued by defections, zoning controversies, and leadership battles. The 2022 convention, marred by parallel events and court challenges, saw Atiku Abubakar clinch the presidential ticket amid acrimony. Recent months have seen heightened tensions, with the PDP State Chairmen's Forum suspending Nwachukwu and Nnanna in October for allegedly colluding with APC interests to derail the convention. Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, a key PDP figure and host of the planned event, had screened aspirants just days before the judgment, only for the rug to be pulled from under the process.
Reactions have been swift and polarized. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and a vocal PDP critic, hailed the verdict as a blow to "impunity," stating on social media that "democracy starts at home" and that the ruling exposes the party's disregard for rules it demands of others. Wike, who defected to the APC in 2024 amid a bitter fallout with Atiku, attended a solidarity event with pro-Wike lawmakers shortly after the judgment, where he reiterated that "no one is above the law." On X (formerly Twitter), users echoed this sentiment, with one post quipping, "The Court has stopped the PDP convention. Anybody still deceiving himself with this party doesn’t value his or her mental health," garnering thousands of views.
Within the PDP, responses ranged from defiance to introspection. Chief Olabode George, a former Deputy National Chairman (South), lambasted the ruling as "unwarranted judicial overreach," arguing it undermines party autonomy and plays into the hands of the ruling APC. PDP National Publicity Secretary Ali Odefa, in a statement, insisted the judgment "won’t stop" the convention, vowing to appeal and proceed after compliance, while urging members to remain united. On X, party loyalists decried the suit as "betrayal," with one user noting, "Who now owed PDP? I pity my governor most... he was screened yesterday... only to wake up and see that court has barred the party." Political analysts, however, see the halt as symptomatic of the PDP's chronic disarray. Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, a lecturer in Political Science at Ahmadu Bello University, told reporters, "This isn't just about notices; it's a symptom of unresolved power struggles. Without internal reforms, the PDP risks irrelevance in 2027."
The broader implications for Nigerian democracy are profound. As the APC consolidates power under President Bola Tinubu, the PDP's paralysis could weaken opposition checks, echoing concerns from the 2023 elections where judicial interventions resolved over 1,000 post-poll disputes. INEC, already under scrutiny for its 2023 conduct, must now navigate this directive amid preparations for off-cycle polls. Party insiders whisper of emergency NEC meetings in the coming days to chart a path forward, potentially delaying officer elections by months.
For the plaintiffs, vindication came at a cost. Nwachukwu, in a post-judgment interview, affirmed, "We acted for the soul of the party. True democracy demands obedience to the law." As the PDP grapples with this setback, the eyes of Nigeria's 220 million citizens remain fixed on whether the main opposition can rebuild its foundations – or fracture further into oblivion.
