A Federal High Court in Abuja, has restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from going ahead with the 2025 National Convention of the Party, scheduled for November 15 and 16, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where new national officers are expected to emerge.
The suit seeking to stop the national convention was filed by some aggrieved members of the PDP, namely; Hon. Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Hon. Amah Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman) and Turnah George (PDP Secretary, South-South).
The plaintiffs had alleged before the court that the planned convention violated the party’s rules and breached its constitution.
Defendants in the suit are, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the party, Umar Bature, National Organizing Secretary of the party, NWC and NEC of the party, Ambassador Umar Damagum, Ali Odefa and Emmanuel Ogidi.
In his verdict on the suit marked; FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, on Friday, Justice James Omotosho, restrained the party from conducting the convention.
The court held that political party administration must be conducted in line with laid down rules and regulations as well as in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
When hearing of the matter came up, Joseph Daudu (SAN), who represented the three aggrieved members had urged the court not to treat the complaints of the plaintiffs as internal affairs of the party but a step to enforce adherence to the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP Constitution.
He argued that Nigeria’s Constitution makes mandatory for the Independent National Electoral Commission to monitor Congresses of political parties before they can be valid.
He also maintained that the complaint of the three aggrieved members of PDP was that no valid Congresses were conducted in the 14 States before the PDP NWC and NEC issued notice for the November 16 and 17, Convention.
The acting National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Umar Damagum represented by Paul Erokoro (SAN), had asked the judge to decline jurisdiction on the ground that issues of convention and congresses are internal affairs of the party.
