Four governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have arrived in Ibadan, Oyo State, as the party insists on conducting its national convention despite a subsisting Federal High Court order halting the exercise.
The South-West Chairman of the party, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, confirmed on Friday that Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) were already in the city for the convention scheduled for the weekend.
Court Orders and Rising Tensions
The PDP has been battling internal strife between factions loyal to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum. The conflict escalated after former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, filed a suit accusing the party of denying him the opportunity to obtain nomination forms for the national chairmanship position.
On Friday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the PDP to suspend the convention and restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring or recognising any convention not inclusive of Lamido.
Justice Lifu held that denying Lamido access to nomination forms violated his rights and directed the party to provide him the opportunity to obtain the forms and campaign properly before any convention is held.
This ruling followed an earlier judgment by the same judge on November 11 restraining the PDP from holding the convention pending the determination of Lamido’s substantive suit.
However, these rulings directly contradict an earlier order from the Oyo State High Court on November 3, which permitted the PDP to proceed with the convention and directed INEC to monitor it.
Ajisafe insisted that the party was acting under the authority of the Ibadan High Court ruling.
“We are not aware of any new order stopping the convention,” he said. “Preparations are almost complete, and nothing will stop it.”
Delegates Arrive as Security Tightens
By Friday night, the venue of the convention was already bustling with activity. Delegates from several states, including Lagos, Bauchi, the FCT, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, and Delta, had arrived, while others continued to troop in.
Music, traditional drummers, and groups of jubilant supporters created a carnival-like atmosphere. Security was also heightened, with an Armoured Personnel Carrier stationed at the entrance.
INEC Opts Out
INEC sources confirmed that the electoral commission would not monitor the convention due to the existing Federal High Court order.
“We will obey the law,” an official said, explaining that the commission was committed to adhering to the Abuja court rulings.
Lamido: I Won’t Attend the Convention
Sule Lamido insisted that the party must obey the latest court order stopping the convention. Speaking on a live television programme, he blamed the party’s governors for the deepening crisis.
He described them as “emperors,” claiming many had abandoned the foundational values of the party.
Lamido said attending the convention would amount to undermining the very court order that restored his rights.
Bode George, Wike Clash Over Legality of Convention
Prominent party leaders Bode George and Nyesom Wike clashed over the legitimacy of the convention.
George dismissed talk of a major crisis and argued that Lamido disobeyed the timetable for obtaining nomination forms.
Wike countered by asserting that the Federal High Court had delivered a substantive judgment, which superseded the ex parte order obtained in Ibadan.
He insisted that the PDP must obey the Abuja court.
Stakeholders Call for Suspension and Reconciliation
The PDP South-South Zonal Secretary, George Turna, and the Forum of PDP State Chairmen urged the party’s national leadership and governors to suspend the convention and adopt the recommendations of the party’s reconciliation committee.
They argued that processes leading to the convention violated the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
Several state chairmen—particularly from Imo, Abia, and others—supported this position, stressing that repeated court rulings had vindicated concerns raised by stakeholders.
Governors Push Ahead Despite Warnings
Despite warnings from party elders, the reconciliation committee, and multiple court orders, the PDP governors pressed ahead with the Ibadan gathering.
The party is now effectively split between rival factions loyal to Wike and to the Damagum-led National Working Committee.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki cautioned that forcing the convention through under such conditions could cause “irreparable damage,” warning that some first-term governors could defect if the crisis persists.
Saraki also recommended stripping the PDP Governors’ Forum of its status as a party organ in future constitutional amendments.
Reconciliation Report Reveals Deep Distrust
A confidential copy of the reconciliation report showed widespread distrust within the PDP, including allegations by Wike that certain governors had hijacked the party, and counter-allegations that Wike himself was destabilising the organisation.
The committee recommended postponing the convention unless court conditions favoured the exercise and INEC agreed to monitor it.
Nonetheless, preparations continued in Ibadan on Friday night, with party leaders insisting that the event would go on.
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2025-11-15
