Four governors of the Peoples Democratic Party have arrived in Ibadan, Oyo State, as the party pushes forward with its national convention despite a Federal High Court order suspending the exercise.
The South-West chairman of the party, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, on Friday, confirmed the development to Saturday PUNCH.
He confirmed the presence of the governors of Bauchi (Bala Mohammed), Zamfara (Dauda Lawal), Adamawa (Ahmadu Fintiri) and Oyo (Seyi Makinde) ahead of the convention.
Conflicting court rulings
The PDP has been engulfed in crises, with factions loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, and the acting Chairman Umar Damagum, locked in a bitter confrontation over the convention scheduled for today and Sunday, November 16.
In the build-up to the convention, a former governor of Jigawa, Sule Lamido, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to seek justice after being denied the opportunity to purchase the PDP national chairmanship nomination form.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Peter Lifu ordered the party to suspend the convention.
He also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from supervising, monitoring or recognising any convention conducted by the PDP without including the plaintiff as a contestant.
Justice Lifu held that evidence before the court established that Lamido was denied the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest for the position of National Chairman of the party.
The court affirmed that the PDP was duty-bound to create opportunities for its members to serve by adopting deliberate measures that enabled them to pursue their political aspirations.
As a consequential order, Justice Lifu directed that the planned convention be put on hold to allow Lamido to obtain the nomination form, mobilise supporters and conduct his campaign.
“An order is hereby made that before any convention is held, the PDP is to make nomination forms available to the plaintiff,” the judge declared.
Recall that on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Justice Lifu delivered a similar ruling restraining the PDP from holding the convention, which was intended to elect new national officers to lead the party.
Lamido, through his counsel, Jephthah Njikonye, SAN, had filed an ex parte motion, seeking an interim injunction to stop the convention pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The former Jigawa State governor, in his suit, stated that if the PDP was not restrained, the party would be violating its constitution and, by implication, denying him the opportunity to contest for the position of national chairman.
Justice Lifu, while delivering a ruling in the motion, held that the plaintiff’s application had merit and consequently restrained the PDP from convening the event pending the determination of the substantive matter before the court.
He argued that there was no reason to depart from an earlier ruling delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the same court on October 31, 2025, which similarly halted the planned convention and restrained INEC from participating.
However, in a conflicting order, the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan on November 3 permitted the PDP to proceed with the convention.
Justice Ladiran Akintola approved the convention while ruling on an ex parte application filed by an Oyo PDP member, Mr Folahan Adelabi, and directed INEC to attend and monitor the convention for the election of new national officers.
Reacting to Friday’s ruling, Ajisafe denied knowledge of Lifu’s new order.
He said, “We’re not aware of any fresh court ruling. This is almost 6 o’clock, and none of the party’s leaders is aware of the ruling you’re talking about.
“The convention will hold. Nothing will stop it because we are obeying the Ibadan High Court ruling that directed us to proceed with the convention.
“As I speak to you, we already have four governors from Bauchi, Zamfara, Adamawa and Oyo states on the ground. We are 98 per cent ready for the convention, and nothing will stop us.”
Delegates arrive venue
Checks by our correspondents, who were at the venue of the convention on Friday night, confirmed that preparations for the event had been completed.
Delegates from different states were seen in elated mood as they danced to the rhythm of traditional drums.
Around past 8pm, the Chairman of Adamawa PDP, Hamza Madagali, came to the venue of the convention with his entourage, perhaps to assess the level of preparedness for the elective convention.
Our correspondents also reliably gathered that delegates from Lagos, FCT, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Delta had arrived at the venue, while delegates from other states were still trooping in as of the time of this report.
An Armoured Personnel Carrier with stern-looking security operatives was also noticed at the entrance to the convention venue.
INEC signals boycott
Saturday PUNCH reliably gathered that INEC would not be monitoring the convention.
A senior official of the commission involved in monitoring party conventions said, “INEC will not monitor the PDP convention.”
Another INEC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed the commission’s commitment to the law.
“INEC is law-abiding. We will obey the FCT High Court,” the source said.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the commission had earlier prepared a press statement to clarify its position on whether it would monitor the convention, but the statement was later withdrawn.
Attempts to reach the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, were unsuccessful, as she neither answered her calls nor replied to messages.
Efforts to speak with other directors in the commission also yielded no response.
Lamido blames govs for crisis
Speaking on the convention, Lamido urged the party to obey the latest court ruling.
Lamido, who spoke while appearing on Channels TV Politics Today on Friday, blamed party governors for the crisis in the party.
He said, “There is a judgement stopping the convention and asking the party to invite me and give me my form to fill and go through the normal campaign and go to the election.
“We had 14 governors, but now we have only three remaining. And even among the three, two are going. The problem came from the governors because they are eroded with their own notion that they are now in charge. There is no governor; the only governor is Seyi Makinde, who I so much respect because he is a very nice young man.”
When asked if he would be attending the convention, Lamido said, “I am now a creation of the court order and therefore being somebody saved by the court, I can’t go to the convention undermining and renouncing something I gained from the court. If I go to the convention, it will mean whatever I got in has been washed away. So, I can’t go there.”
He added, “They want somebody they can control. This party produced three presidents, how many governors, senators, the Senate President, and Ambassadors. The governors of today are emperors.”
Wike, Bode George clash
A chieftain of the party, Bode George, and Wike, who also spoke on the TV programme, traded tackles over the court order suspending the convention.
George, a founding member of the PDP and former Board of Trustees member, dismissed claims of a party crisis.
He said the party remained “solid and undivided.”
George expressed surprise over Lamido’s decision to take the party to court.
“The way things are done, I am hell shocked that he took the party to court. The last NEC meeting, the date for collection of forms was stipulated. What they are supposed to do, when they are supposed to return the forms, were all well stated and approved by NEC,” he said.
He alleged that Lamido missed the official schedule for obtaining and returning nomination forms.
“Everybody who wanted to collect forms applied, paid the normal dues, and they gave you the form. But on his own side, he came physically on the very day that the return of forms closed. Of course, with his status, if he had called them earlier, they would oblige him because of his status, but to now go to court because they didn’t give you the form. That day was the last day to return the forms. Did he do what is right?”
He reaffirmed that the party’s convention would proceed, noting that the court under Justice Ladiran Akintola had allowed operations to continue until Monday, November 18, with a final judgment expected on December 8.
Wike defended the court ruling suspending the convention.
The minister called on the party to respect the ruling and suspend the convention.
“I am a respecter of the law. I have heard Sule Lamido, I have heard our father, Chief Olabode George, but it is unfortunate that at the level of Chief Olabode George, you don’t know the difference between a substantive judgement and an ex parte order,” Wike said.
He explained that the Federal High Court had already delivered a substantive judgement on October 31, 2025.
“And again, Sule Lamido went to court challenging the party that it cannot continue with the convention because it denied him his right,” Wike noted.
The minister argued that a subsequent Ibadan court order was an ex parte order, not a substantive judgement.
“The court in Ibadan gave an ex parte order and then extended that ex parte order. Are you now telling us that an ex parte order will override a substantive judgement of a court?” he asked.
NWC, govs urged to accept reconciliation report
Meanwhile, the South-South Zonal Secretary of the party, George Turna, as well as the Forum of PDP State Chairmen, have called on the national leaders of the party and PDP governors to accept the recommendations of the reconciliation committee set up by the Board of Trustees in good faith.
They also called on the NWC and PDP governors to suspend the convention.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Turna noted that the processes leading up to the Ibadan convention did not align with the party’s constitution and guidelines, the Electoral Act, 2022, and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He said, “Principal among our concerns was the conduct of state congresses. We believed that, by our procedures, state congresses ought to have been concluded in almost all states — or at least a substantial number — to form the bulk of delegates to the national convention.”
“We looked forward to guidelines; none were issued. We expected a timetable; we couldn’t find any. We sought information on procedures, including the purchase of forms; nothing was made available.
“Out of these frustrations, we approached the court to seek answers. It is now public knowledge that we obtained judgment in our favour, delivered by Honourable Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court on October 31, 2025.
“It is important to clarify, because false narratives have spread, that we acted as proxies to stop the PDP convention, or that we are undermining the party’s progress. In the build-up to this and following the judgment, the party’s Board of Trustees set up a fact-finding committee. The committee reviewed the crisis and produced a report. As party members, we had access to the report.”
He noted that the report by the BoT Reconciliation Committee had vindicated the position of party stakeholders that the affairs of the PDP had been conducted in violation of certain principles and procedures.
Also speaking, the Imo State Chairman of the party, Austin Nwachukwu, said, “Justice Lifu has delivered another judgment aligning with the issues we raised in our own suit.
“This particular suit was filed by former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, who was denied the opportunity to obtain forms to contest at the planned convention. He was understandably upset, as a foundation member and elder statesman of the party.
“The court held that it was wrong and unjust to deny Sule Lamido the right to participate in a convention of this magnitude and ordered that he must be allowed to purchase forms and participate in any future convention. The court also cautioned the PDP to stop acts of impunity.
“This again vindicates our position. While some individuals rushed to Ibadan to obtain an ex parte order from a High Court, we followed due process and the rule of law — and the court has again justified our actions.”
On his part, the Abia State Chairman of the PDP, Amah Abraham, commended the BoT Reconciliation Committee for prioritising the party’s interests above all in its recommendations.
Govs, NWC press ahead
Despite the recommendations, PDP stakeholders, including the four governors have reportedly converged on Ibadan for the convention.
The party is now operating under two rival factions, raising concerns that internal conflict may deepen ahead of the 2027 elections.
Governors Mohammed, Makinde, and Muftwang accused Wike of destabilising the party.
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee defended disciplinary actions against some national officers, accusing them of taking instructions from Wike.
The suspended officials countered, alleging hidden agendas and unconstitutional actions by the NWC and governors.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki warned that proceeding under the current conditions could cause irreparable damage, recommending the formation of an all-inclusive caretaker committee.
He also advised that first-term governors in Osun, Plateau, and Zamfara could defect if the crisis persisted.
Saraki further recommended that future amendments to the PDP constitution strip the Governors’ Forum of its status as a party organ to prevent recurrence of such conflicts.
Internal divisions threaten party stability
But prominent stakeholders of the PDP, including Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, converged on Ibadan on Friday for the party’s national convention.
The PDP, once Nigeria’s dominant political force for 16 straight years, is battling what its Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, described as a “self-inflicted crisis.”
With two rival factions now operating from separate secretariats, the party is grappling with an internal turmoil that threatens its cohesion ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a bid to restore order, the BoT on November 5, inaugurated a reconciliation committee chaired by Ambassador Hassan Adamu.
The six-man panel submitted its report days later, recommending that the convention be postponed until all aggrieved parties had been reconciled.
However, the advice—supported by former Senate President Bukola Saraki—was ignored by the Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee.
A leaked copy of the report, sighted by Saturday PUNCH, revealed that the committee found widespread distrust across party ranks.
It also documented Wike’s objections to the committee’s neutrality, noting that its inauguration in the presence of the Damagum-led NWC had compromised its credibility.
“Wike faulted the BoT for publicly siding with the acting national chairman’s camp and accused the zoning committee of shutting out critical stakeholders,” the report reads in part.
The report further states that “Wike accused the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, of hijacking party processes. He also alleged that Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, was covertly collaborating with the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“Wike raised concerns about cancelled congresses in states such as Anambra and Ebonyi and insisted that the Ibadan convention could only hold if Abuja court orders were obeyed. He vowed to continue challenging what he described as the governors’ refusal to honour agreements,” the report read in part.
During its session with the committee, Governor Bala Mohammed—accompanied by Governors Makinde and Caleb Muftwang of Plateau—accused Wike of destabilising the party and violating its constitution.
He alleged that Wike was bent on controlling the PDP and weakening its foundations, describing the former Rivers governor as “trouble-prone” and unwilling to cease hostilities.
The NWC, in its submission, defended the suspension of National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu, National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, and National Organising Secretary Umar Bature.
The Acting Chairman Damagum said the trio were disciplined for alleged indiscipline and anti-party activities, “accusing them of taking instructions from Wike.
Bature was accused of running “a one-man show,” while Ajibade was said to have compromised the party’s legal interests.”
But the suspended officials pushed back, accusing the NWC of disobeying valid court orders and alleging that Governors Diri, Bala and Makinde were pursuing hidden agendas.
“They maintained that the suspension of the South-East Vice Chairman, Ali Odefa, was valid and insisted that documents signed by him since then were illegal.
They also accused Damagum of incompetence, describing Makinde as a core contributor to the party’s crisis.”
Saraki, in his meeting with the committee, said he had deliberately distanced himself from President Bola Tinubu since the latter assumed office, insisting on prioritising party stability above personal political relationships.
He warned that the unresolved crisis surrounding the national secretary’s office and the governors’ “ego-driven decisions” had pushed the party to the brink. According to him, “governors had originally agreed to concede the Rivers PDP structure to Wike but later reneged, triggering renewed hostilities.”
Saraki warned that proceeding with the convention under current conditions risked “irreparable damage,” and recommended the formation of an inclusive caretaker committee.
He also cautioned that first-term PDP governors in Osun, Plateau and Zamfara could defect ahead of their re-election battles if the crisis persists.
He further advised that the next amendment to the PDP constitution should strip the Governors’ Forum of its status as a party organ.
The reconciliation committee’s report underscored deep mistrust between the governors and the NWC, noting that ambitions for 2027 had distorted the party’s internal cohesion. It warned that lingering litigation, shifting loyalties, and internal power blocs had severely weakened the PDP’s operational structure.
The committee recommended that the Ibadan convention be held “Only if legal conditions were favourable and if INEC was willing to monitor the exercise. It cautioned that multiple conflicting court orders would likely deter INEC from doing so.”
It is therefore advised that the party immediately revert to status quo ante, lift all suspensions, and establish an all-inclusive caretaker committee to manage its affairs.
It further urged strict adherence to party supremacy, constitutional discipline, and neutrality from the BoT, warning against any attempt to formalise the Governors’ Forum as an organ of the party.
Despite these warnings, the NWC—backed by the PDP Governors’ Forum—pressed ahead with the Ibadan convention, raising concerns that the party’s internal conflict could worsen in the weeks ahead.
(Punch)
