Four state governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party arrived in Ibadan, Oyo State, as the party continued preparations for its national convention even though a Federal High Court had earlier ordered that the exercise be suspended.
The South West chairman of the party, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, confirmed the development to Saturday PUNCH and stated that the governors of Bauchi (Bala Mohammed), Zamfara (Dauda Lawal), Adamawa (Ahmadu Fintiri) and Oyo (Seyi Makinde) were already in the city ahead of the scheduled event.
Conflicting Judicial Decisions Over the Convention
The party has been facing intense internal struggles, with rival groups loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, locked in a serious disagreement over the planned convention.
In the lead-up to the event, a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge his inability to obtain the nomination form for the national chairmanship position.
Justice Peter Lifu, in a ruling delivered on Friday, instructed the PDP to suspend the convention and also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from supervising or recognising any convention that excluded Lamido from the contest.
Justice Lifu held that evidence submitted to the court showed that Lamido had been unjustly denied the opportunity to purchase the nomination form, and the court emphasised that the party carried a responsibility to provide open and fair access to all members seeking to contest leadership positions.
As part of the ruling, the court directed that the convention be halted until Lamido had been allowed to acquire the form, mobilise his supporters and run a proper campaign.
The same court had issued a similar ruling on 11 November 2025, stopping the PDP from proceeding with the convention intended to elect new national officers.
Lamido argued in his suit that the party would violate its constitution if the convention went ahead without granting him fair access to the nomination process.
Justice Lifu stated that the application had merit and ruled that the convention must not proceed until the court had fully heard the substantive case.
The ruling aligned with an earlier decision given by Justice James Omotosho on 31 October 2025, which also suspended the planned convention and restrained INEC from participating.
Meanwhile, in a contrary judgement, the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan granted approval on 3 November for the PDP to proceed with the convention and instructed INEC to attend and monitor the exercise.
Ajisafe responded to Friday’s judgment by stating that no fresh ruling had been officially communicated to party leaders, and added that preparations for the convention were almost complete since four governors were already present in Ibadan.
Delegates Arrive as Preparations Reach Completion
Observations at the venue on Friday night showed that arrangements for the convention were essentially concluded.
Delegates from various states gathered at the site, expressing excitement as traditional drummers entertained them.
The Adamawa PDP chairman, Hamza Madagali, arrived at the venue around 8 p.m. to inspect preparations.
Delegates from Lagos, the FCT, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi and Delta states had already arrived, while delegates from other states continued to troop in.
An Armoured Personnel Carrier and heavily armed security personnel were stationed at the entrance.
INEC Indicates Non-Attendance
Reliable information gathered by Saturday PUNCH indicated that INEC would not monitor the convention.
A senior official involved in party convention oversight stated that the commission would not participate, and another official explained that INEC intended to obey the ruling issued by the FCT High Court.
The commission had reportedly prepared a statement clarifying its position, but the document was withdrawn.
Efforts to reach the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, and other senior officials were unsuccessful.
Lamido Attributes Party Turmoil to Governors
Lamido urged the PDP to obey the latest ruling of the Federal High Court.
During an interview on Channels Television, he stated that a lawful order existed stopping the convention until he had been given fair access to participate.
Lamido blamed some governors for the deepening internal crisis, arguing that the dominance of governors in party affairs contributed significantly to the present situation.
Lamido maintained that attendance at the convention would undermine the very court ruling that granted relief in his favour, and therefore participation would not be possible.
He also claimed that the governors wanted a national chairman they could control.
Tension Between Wike and Bode George
Party leaders Bode George and Nyesom Wike clashed publicly over the suspended convention while speaking on the same television programme.
George insisted that the party remained united and expressed disappointment that Lamido had taken the matter to court, arguing that the schedule for collection and return of nomination forms had been clearly communicated by the National Executive Committee.
He stated that Lamido attempted to obtain the form on the final day for returning forms and missed the proper process.
Wike countered that the PDP must respect the Federal High Court ruling and suspend the convention, stressing that the Ibadan court order was only an ex parte order, not a substantive judgment, and could not overrule the earlier Abuja decision.
Calls for Party Leaders to Accept Reconciliation Efforts
The South South Zonal Secretary of the party, George Turna, and the Forum of PDP State Chairmen appealed to the National Working Committee and the PDP governors to accept the recommendations of the reconciliation committee set up by the Board of Trustees.
Turna expressed concern that the processes leading up to the Ibadan convention did not comply with the party’s constitution, relevant electoral guidelines or the Nigerian Constitution.
He explained that state congresses had not been properly concluded, no guidelines were issued, no timetable was released and required information on procedures was not made available.
Turna clarified that the court ruling obtained by stakeholders was not intended to sabotage the party but to ensure compliance with internal rules.
The Imo State PDP chairman, Austin Nwachukwu, added that Justice Lifu’s ruling aligned with earlier concerns that the denial of Lamido’s nomination form was unfair.
The Abia State chairman, Amah Abraham, praised the reconciliation committee for placing the party’s interest above internal factional struggles.
Governors and NWC Continue With Convention Plans
Despite the appeals, key party stakeholders, including the four governors, gathered in Ibadan for the planned convention.
The party now operates under two rival factions, creating fears that internal tension may intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
Some governors accused Wike of destabilising the party, while the National Working Committee defended disciplinary actions taken against some officials accused of acting under Wike’s instructions.
Suspended officers, however, argued that the NWC had disregarded valid court orders and had acted outside constitutional limits.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki warned that the convention could inflict long-term damage on the party and advised the establishment of an inclusive caretaker committee.
Saraki noted that ongoing disputes could push some first-term governors to defect and recommended the removal of the Governors’ Forum as an official organ of the PDP in future constitutional amendments.
Deepening Internal Divisions Threaten Party Stability
Major party figures, including Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, arrived in Ibadan for the convention, signifying serious divisions.
The PDP, once Nigeria’s leading political force for 16 years, is currently dealing with what the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, described as a crisis created from within.
Two separate factions now operate from different secretariats, and the party faces internal strain as the 2027 general election approaches.
A reconciliation committee led by Ambassador Hassan Adamu had submitted a report urging that the convention be postponed until all grievances were resolved.
The Umar Damagum-led NWC rejected the advice.
A leaked copy of the committee’s report showed widespread mistrust among party leaders.
The report recorded Wike’s claim that the committee lacked neutrality and had been influenced by the presence of the NWC during its inauguration.
The report also stated that Wike accused the Governors’ Forum of taking over party structures and alleged that the Taraba State governor had formed covert ties with the ruling APC.
The committee heard complaints about cancelled congresses in several states and noted Wike’s argument that the convention could only proceed if all Abuja court orders were fully respected.
During the committee’s interaction with some governors, Bala Mohammed, Seyi Makinde and Caleb Muftwang accused Wike of destabilising the party and violating established norms.
The NWC defended the suspension of three national officers, claiming that the individuals had acted without approval and had taken directives from Wike.
The suspended officials denied these claims and accused the NWC and some governors of pursuing hidden interests.
Saraki, during his session, cautioned that unresolved power struggles, especially around the office of the national secretary, were driving the party toward a dangerous path and that earlier agreements relating to the Rivers State party structure had been abandoned.
The reconciliation committee concluded that ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections had contributed to deep distrust between party leaders, and it advised that the party lift all suspensions and establish an inclusive caretaker committee.
The committee further recommended strict adherence to party regulations and urged the BoT to maintain neutrality.
Despite these warnings, the NWC and several governors continued with plans for the Ibadan convention, raising serious concerns that the internal conflict would deepen in the coming weeks.
