Convention In Limbo: PDP Leaders To Meet In Abuja After Court Judgment

The Peoples Democratic Party has summoned an emergency meeting of its National Working Committee following Friday’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja halting its planned national convention billed for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

According to reports, the meeting would hold on Saturday at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

“That’s the judgment. However, I know that the NWC has summoned an emergency meeting tomorrow. The leaders will review what transpired throughout the process and determine the next line of action. The party is set for a very serious deliberation, which will shape its next steps and provide members and Nigerians a clearer sense of direction in the coming days”, a PDP official said.

The emergency session comes after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, stopped the opposition party from holding the convention over alleged violations of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the party’s own internal constitution.

Delivering judgment in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, the judge held that the PDP failed to conduct valid state congresses in several states and also breached the law by failing to issue the mandatory 21-day notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before convening the convention.

Omotosho ruled that the irregularities were fundamental and rendered the entire process leading to the proposed convention invalid.

The failure of the PDP to comply with the law has put the planned convention in jeopardy. The party must do the needful before going ahead with the election,” he declared.

The judge consequently restrained INEC from monitoring, recognising, or publishing the outcome of any PDP convention that did not meet the legal requirements.

The suit was filed by three aggrieved PDP members — Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Amah Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman), and Turnah George (South-South Zonal Secretary).

They asked the court to halt the planned convention on the grounds that it violated both the Electoral Act and the PDP’s internal rules, alleging that no valid congresses were conducted in at least 14 states before the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee issued notice for the convention.