A fresh legal battle has opened within the Peoples Democratic Party as the bloc aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to void the party’s recent national convention held in Ibadan.
According to court filings, the suit — marked FHC/ABJ/CS/250/2025 — was jointly filed by the PDP, Acting National Chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu. They are praying the court to pronounce the Ibadan exercise “null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”
Another request before the court seeks an order stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the convention conducted on November 15 and 16 under the leadership of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s camp.
Legal disputes over the event had surfaced weeks earlier when aggrieved members insisted that holding the convention would breach party rules, provisions of the Electoral Act and other binding procedures.
Among those who previously challenged the process were Imo PDP Chairman Austin Nwachukwu, Abia PDP Chairman Amah Abraham Nnanna and South-South PDP Secretary Turnah Alabh George.
On 31 October 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an order restraining INEC from recognising the convention until the issues raised were resolved.
In another related matter, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido secured a ruling from Justice Peter Lifu, who held that the convention could not proceed unless Lamido was allowed to obtain a nomination form to contest for national chairman.
By contrast, an interim directive from Justice A. L. Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, cleared the PDP to go ahead with the Ibadan gathering, creating conflicting judicial positions.
Despite the contradictory rulings, the party proceeded with the convention amid heavy security, during which Anyanwu, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti Governor Ayo Fayose and eight others were expelled.
In the fresh suit dated November 21, the plaintiffs listed 18 defendants, including INEC, the Inspector-General of Police, the FCT Commissioner of Police, the State Security Service and several PDP officials.
Their filings accuse the organisers of acting “in blatant disregard” of three subsisting Federal High Court orders and seek directives to bar recognition of the new officers, restore access to the PDP secretariats at Wadata Plaza and Legacy House and compel security agencies to enforce earlier judgments.
The plaintiffs are also asking the court to determine whether any institution can lawfully accord legitimacy to the Ibadan convention in view of the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the PDP constitution.
