The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has cleared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to proceed with its elective National Convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2025.
In a ruling delivered by Justice A. L. Akintola, the court granted an interim order allowing the PDP to hold the convention as planned in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to attend, monitor, and observe the exercise pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion on notice.
The ruling followed an ex parte application filed by Folahan Adelabi against the PDP, its Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, Governor Umaru Fintiri (representing the National Convention Organising Committee), and INEC.
Adelabi had urged the court to restrain the defendants from truncating, frustrating, or disrupting the timetable, guidelines, and schedule of activities leading up to the convention.
After hearing the motion on Monday, Justice Akintola ruled that the claimant had demonstrated sufficient grounds for urgent judicial intervention.
“The court finds merit in the claimant’s motion ex parte. The same succeeds and is hereby ordered as prayed,” Justice Akintola stated.
Accordingly, the court granted the interim orders sought, restraining any interference with the PDP’s timetable and compelling the defendants to proceed with the national convention as scheduled.
Justice Akintola further adjourned the hearing of the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction to November 10, 2025.
The court’s order, dated November 3, 2025, was issued under the seal of the Oyo State High Court and signed by the Principal Registrar, S. O. Hammed.
Conflicting Abuja court ruling
The Ibadan court’s decision came just days after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja halted the planned 2025 PDP National Convention, ruling that the party must first comply with its own constitution, the Nigerian Constitution, and the Electoral Act.
Delivering judgment in a suit filed by three aggrieved PDP members, Justice Omotosho also restrained INEC from accepting any report of a PDP national convention conducted without full compliance with due process and relevant regulations.
However, the PDP swiftly rejected the Abuja court’s ruling.
National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba insisted that the judgment did not invalidate the party’s preparations for its convention to elect new national officers.
He described the ruling as “an assault on Nigeria’s democratic processes” and confirmed that the party’s legal team had been directed to file an appeal.
Leadership turmoil deepens
Amid the conflicting court orders, tensions heightened at the PDP national headquarters in Abuja on Monday as Abdulrahman Mohammed, former Vice Chairman (North Central), assumed office as Acting National Chairman.
Mohammed, accompanied by his supporters, addressed a crowd at the PDP’s Federal Capital Territory office, confirming that he had taken over leadership of the party.
His emergence followed a declaration by the Samuel Anyanwu-led National Working Committee (NWC), which announced the suspension of National Chairman Umar Damagum and National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba.
In turn, Damagum and his loyalists within the NWC countered by suspending National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, and other key officials — escalating the party’s internal crisis.
As of Monday, while Mohammed, backed by the Anyanwu faction, resumed duties at the PDP national secretariat, Damagum and his supporters were notably absent.
