Oyo High Court approves PDP planned national convention
A High Court sitting in Oyo State on Tuesday approved the planned national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled for November 15 and 16 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The ex parte motion which was filed on Monday by Folahan Adelabi was granted by Justice Ladiran Akintola who thereafter adjourned the hearing of the case to November 10, 2025.
The judge issued an interim order permitting the party to continue its convention plans without obstruction, after the ex-parte motion was filed against the PDP, its Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, Governor Umaru Fintiri, and INEC.
The interim orders sought by the claimant, restraining “the defendants or their agents from truncating or frustrating the conduct of the party’s scheduled national convention”, were granted by the Court.
Justice Akintola ordered the party and its committees to hold, conduct and convene the national convention as planned, pending determination of the motion on notice, while directing the PDP leadership to follow the guidelines, timetable and schedule of activities earlier released for the convention, and ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to attend, monitor and observe the conduct of the convention in line with the Electoral Act.
He commended the claimant’s transparency in filing a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction along with the ex parte application, noting that the claimant had established a basis for urgent judicial intervention.
Recall that a Federal High Court in Abuja, on October 31, had earlier stopped the PDP from conducting its planned national convention pending its compliance with the requirements of the party’s constitution, the Nigerian Constitution, and the Electoral Act.
Justice Omotosho had held that the evidence before the court established that the party failed to comply with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the PDP’s constitution and INEC guidelines, stating that the PDP did not conduct valid state congresses before proceeding with preparations for the national convention.
He had directed the PDP “to go back and put its house in order, and to give the statutory 21-day notice to INEC before it can proceed with the proposed convention”, while restraining INEC from accepting or recognising the outcome of any PDP national convention that is not conducted in accordance with due process, the law, and INEC’s own regulations.
Justice Omotosho had also ruled in the verdict that INEC cannot give recognition to the outcome of any convention organized by political parties that fail to comply with the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the respective parties’ guidelines.
