By Abiola Olawale
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has further deepened as the Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the planned National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scheduled for November 15-16, 2025.
It was gathered that the court’s decision, delivered by Justice James Omotosho, was hinged on evidence that the party had failed to adhere to its own constitution and guidelines, particularly regarding the conduct of essential state congresses.
The suit, filed by aggrieved members of the party, argued that the foundation for the National Convention was illegitimate.
The court held that evidence adduced before it established that the party failed to comply with provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as well as its own Constitution.
It stressed that the party failed to conduct valid state congresses before it moved to hold the convention to elect its national officers.
Consequently, the court directed the PDP to go back and put its house in order, and equally send the statutory 21-day notice before it could proceed with the proposed convention.
The plaintiffs- Hon. Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman) and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South, had in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, urged the court to halt the planned convention.
Cited as defendants in the matter were: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); PDP; the National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; the National Organising Secretary of the party, Umar Baturrle; two national officers of the party, Ali Odefa and Emmanuel Ogidi, as well as the NWC and NEC of the party.
The court dismissed preliminary objections the defendants filed to challenge its jurisdiction to meddle in what they insisted was an internal affair of a political party.
