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By Myke Agunwa, Abuja
A federal high court in Abuja has stopped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from proceeding with its planned national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, James Omotosho, the presiding judge, stated that evidence before the court showed the party failed to hold valid state congresses before the planned national convention, as required by the 1999 constitution, the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the party’s own constitution.
He noted that notices and official correspondence signed by the PDP national chairman without the co-signature of the national secretary were “invalid” and a “breach of the law.”
The judge also criticized the party for failing to issue the mandatory 21-day notice to INEC before holding meetings and congresses, which prevented the commission from fulfilling its oversight role.
Omotosho declared that the PDP’s non-compliance with these legal requirements jeopardized its planned convention, advising the party to correct the infractions before proceeding.
As a result, the court barred INEC from accepting, publishing, or recognizing any outcome from the proposed convention until the PDP complies with all legal requirements.
According to Omotosho, “Evidence before this Court shows that the Party failed to hold valid state congresses before convening the proposed national convention as required under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the guidelines of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Party’s own constitution.
“Notices and official correspondence signed by the National Chairman without the co-signature of the National Secretary are invalid and constitute a breach of the law.
“The Party failed to issue the mandatory 21-day notice to INEC before convening meetings and congresses, thereby limiting the Commission’s oversight ability.
“The matter is not merely an internal affair of the Party. It involves clear legal implications and the jurisdiction of this Court is not excluded.
“Until the Party complies with all statutory requirements including valid state congresses, proper notices, and co-signatures where needed, any outcome from the proposed convention shall not be recognized by INEC.”
The court also dismissed the defendants’ preliminary objections challenging its jurisdiction, ruling that the issue is not solely a matter of internal party affairs but one with “clear legal implications.”
Austine Nwachukwu, PDP chairman in Imo State; Amah Abraham Nnanna, Abia State chairman; and Turnah George, South-South secretary of the party, filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025.
The first to sixth defendants listed are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu (national secretary), Umar Bature (national organizing secretary), the party’s national working committee (NWC), and the national executive committee (NEC).
The plaintiffs, believed to be allies of Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are challenging the legality of the planned national convention and seek an order to stop the party from proceeding.