The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed Tuesday’s ruling of an Oyo State High Court approving the Peoples Democratic Party’s proposed national convention scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan.
Justice Ladiran Akintola granted the ex parte motion filed on Monday by Folahan Adelabi in suit number I/1336/2025, and adjourned the case to November 10, 2025 for hearing of the motion on notice.
The Oyo order contradicts last Friday’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which restrained the PDP from holding the convention.
Delivering judgment in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, Justice James Omotosho ordered that the convention be halted until the party complies with its constitution, the Nigerian Constitution, and the Electoral Act.
The suit was filed by three aggrieved members of the party — Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman) and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South).
Justice Omotosho directed the PDP “to go back and put its house in order, and to give the statutory 21-day notice to INEC before it can proceed with the proposed convention.”
He also restrained INEC from accepting or recognising the outcome of any national convention that is not conducted in accordance with due process, the law, and INEC’s own regulations.
In the Oyo case, the defendants include the PDP; its National Chairman, Umar Damagum (for himself and the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee); Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri (for himself and the National Convention Organising Committee); and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Justice Akintola granted all interim orders sought by the claimant, restraining “the defendants or their agents from truncating or frustrating the conduct of the party’s scheduled national convention.”
The judge also directed the PDP leadership to strictly follow the guidelines, timetable and schedule of activities earlier released for the convention, and ordered the party and its committees to hold, conduct and convene the elective national convention as planned in Ibadan pending determination of the motion on notice.
He likewise ordered INEC to attend, monitor and observe the conduct of the convention in line with the Electoral Act.
According to the ruling, the claimant had established a basis for urgent judicial intervention, and the judge commended the claimant’s “transparency” in filing a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction along with the ex parte application.
The certified true copy of the enrolment order was signed by S. O. Hammed, Principal Registrar of the Oyo State High Court, and issued in Ibadan on November 3, 2025.
However, reacting to the development, Wike, through his Senior Special Assistant, Lere Olayinka, dismissed the Oyo order, insisting that the Abuja judgment takes precedence.
He said, “Are you unaware of the last Friday judgment of the Federal High Court? There was a judgment on Friday. Another court now gave an ex parte order! Do you know what an ex parte order means?
“It means it expires in seven days or at the highest 14 days. Is the High Court in Ibadan the appeal court? Is that an order you should obey? Is an order higher than a judgment?
“A court gave a judgment that INEC should not attend, you now went to Ibadan to get an order, an ex parte order. And you are asking whether the minister will attend?”
Fresh PDP power tussle
In a related development, the embattled factional National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, has moved against former members of the National Working Committee, including suspended National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
On Tuesday, Damagum wrote to INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, notifying him of the decision of the NWC to suspend Anyanwu and four others.
Recall that on Monday, PDP Deputy National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, assumed office as acting national chairman.
Backed by Wike, Abdulrahman was accompanied to the Wadata Plaza headquarters by Anyanwu and a handful of loyalists.
The factional chairman vowed to reposition the party by “returning power back to the people.”
Damagum’s letter, dated November 1, 2025 and titled “Resolution of the National Working Committee at its 608th emergency meeting held on Saturday, November 1, 2025,” announced the suspension of the officers on grounds of anti-party activities.
The letter stated: “The National Working Committee of the PDP at its 608th emergency meeting today, Saturday, November 1, 2025, considered the continued anti-party activities of some national officers despite the formal reprimand issued by the party.
“The NWC, pursuant to the provisions of Sections 57 (3), 58 (1) (a), (b), (c) and (h) and 59 (1) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (As amended in 2017) suspends the following national officers from the party — Senator Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Hon. Umar Bature (National Organising Secretary), Barr. Kamaldeen Ajibade (National Legal Adviser) and Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha (Deputy National Legal Adviser).
“The above-named national officers are consequently suspended for a period of one month and referred to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action. During the period of suspension, the affected officers cease to function in their respective capacities.
“Pursuant to Section 36 (2) of the PDP Constitution, the Deputy National Secretary, Hon. Setonji Koshoedo, shall forthwith act as National Secretary while the Director of Legal Services and National Director of Organization are hereby directed to oversee the activities of their respective directorates.”
The letter, received at INEC headquarters on Tuesday, was signed by Damagum, Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja, and 12 other NWC members.
Blame PDP governors — Osadolor
Meanwhile, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, blamed the party’s governors for the deepening internal crisis.
He singled out Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa as the only exception.
He said, “It is the leadership failure on the part of the governors that brought about some of these issues. They have refused to be male and they have refused to be female. They are neither here nor there in party administration and leadership.
“The only exception is Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, who has been very consistent in showing that he knows what he is doing. The rest of them double-speak and this create signals for the issues like what we witnessed yesterday (The takeover of Damagum’s office by Mohammed Abdulrahman).
“What happened yesterday was not out of place.”
Osadolor also faulted Anyanwu’s suspension, saying, “The purported suspension of Senator Anyanwu is null, void and illegal. There are processes to be followed to suspend an NWC member. Those processes were not followed. There is room to manage the situation.”
While describing Damagum as a good leader, he said the PDP has remained in turmoil because the governors “hijacked the party from the Chairman.”
He added, “I appeal to the governors to come down from their high horse and negotiate a way out of this. Damagum is a good man and a very good administrator. Ordinarily, any party that has Damagum will go and sleep because if you give him free hand to run the party, he will do wonders.
“But the governors hijacked the leadership of the party from him and that is why it has been harvest of troubles for the PDP.”
Neither Damagum nor PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, responded to calls seeking comment.
(Punch)
