Court fixes October 31 for judgment in suit seeking to halt PDP National Convention

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed October 31 for judgment in a suit seeking to halt the 2025 National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged violations of the party’s rules.

The date was set after the judge heard arguments for and against the suit filed by three aggrieved members of the party.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, Justice Omotosho reiterated his earlier order directing all parties to maintain the status quo concerning the planned convention and warned against any violation of the order. He cautioned that any action taken while the case is pending could be declared null and void.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Joseph Daudu (SAN), urged the court to treat the matter as a constitutional issue rather than an internal party affair. He argued that the plaintiffs’ case is based on ensuring compliance with the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the PDP Constitution.

Daudu noted that the Nigerian Constitution mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor political party congresses before such exercises can be deemed valid. He explained that the plaintiffs’ grievance was that no valid congresses were held in 14 states before the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) issued a notice for the November 15 and 16 convention.

However, counsel to the acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum, Paul Erokoro (SAN), urged the court to decline jurisdiction, insisting that issues regarding congresses and conventions fall within the internal affairs of the party.

Supporting this argument, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), representing the PDP’s NWC and NEC, maintained that the court lacks the jurisdiction to interfere in the party’s internal matters.

The plaintiffs — Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman), and Turnah George (PDP Secretary, South-South) — are seeking to stop the convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State, where new national officers are expected to be elected.

They claim that the planned convention violates the PDP Constitution.

The nine defendants in the suit include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Umar Bature (National Organising Secretary), the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi.