Court to rule on PDP convention suit Oct 31
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja has fixed October 31 2025 to rule on the PDP convention suit.
The suit seeks to halt the 2025 National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the grounds of alleged violations of the party’s rules.
After taking arguments for and against the suit filed by three aggrieved members of the party, the judge during Tuesday’s proceedings reiterated his earlier order directing all parties to maintain the status quo regarding the planned convention.
Justice Omotosho warned parties in the suit that he would not hesitate to nullify any step taken by either of them while the matter is pending before the court.
During the hearing, Joseph Daudu (SAN), counsel to the three plaintiffs, urged the court to treat their grievances as an effort to ensure adherence to the 1999 Constitution, the PDP Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, rather than as mere internal party affairs.
He further argued that before
party congresses can be deemed valid, the Constitution mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor such congresses, maintaining that no valid congresses were conducted in 14 states before the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) fixed the convention date.
Paul Erokoro (SAN), representing one of the defendants, the PDP acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, asked the court to decline jurisdiction, arguing that issues relating to conventions and congresses fall within the internal affairs of the party.
Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), who represented the PDP NWC and NEC supported Erokoro’s position, contending that the court lacked jurisdiction to inquire into the internal affairs of a political party.
The three plaintiffs that brought the suit before the court are: Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman), and Turnah George (PDP Secretary, South-South).
The nine defendants in the suit are: the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), PDP National Secretary, Samuel Anyawu; PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature; the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), Emmanuel Ogidi, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum and Ali Odefa.
