The Oyo State High Court has directed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, to go ahead with the party’s national convention slated for November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Justice A.L. Akintola issued the ruling on Monday after hearing an ex parte motion filed by Folahan Malomo Adelabi, who urged the court to safeguard the party’s planned convention from disruption.
In the suit filed the same day, the PDP, Damagum, Governor Umar Fintiri, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were listed as defendants.
Adelabi asked the court to grant an interim injunction restraining the defendants from “truncating, frustrating, or stopping the conduct of the scheduled national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fixed for the 15th and 16th November, 2025 at Ibadan,” pending the hearing of a substantive motion.
He further sought an order compelling the party and its leaders “to adhere to and honour the provisions of the guidelines, timetable, and schedule of activities for the conduct of the national convention.”
The application also requested that INEC be directed to “attend, monitor, and observe” the elective convention to ensure compliance with electoral procedures.
After A.E. Okelue, counsel to Adelabi, presented the motion, the court granted all the reliefs sought.
“Accordingly, this court finds merit in the claimant/applicant’s motion ex parte,” Justice Akintola ruled.
“The same succeeds, and it is hereby ordered as prayed on the claimant/applicant’s motion ex parte dated 3rd November, 2025, and filed on the same date in this case.”
Previous verdict
The Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier stopped the PDP from holding its planned national convention in Ibadan, ruling that the party failed to follow constitutional and electoral procedures.
Delivering judgment in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, Justice James Omotosho ordered that the exercise be suspended until the PDP fulfils all statutory obligations required by its constitution, the 1999 Constitution, and the Electoral Act.
The case was brought by three dissatisfied party officials, Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman), and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South). They argued that the planned convention breached both internal and national legal frameworks governing political party administration.
Nine defendants were listed in the suit: the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Umar Bature (National Organising Secretary), the National Working Committee, the National Executive Committee, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho held that “the evidence before the court established that the party failed to comply with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the INEC guidelines, and the PDP’s own constitution.
He added that the party did not conduct valid state congresses before planning the convention to elect national officers.
Consequently, the judge 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.”
Justice Omotosho also restrained INEC from accepting or recognising the outcome of any PDP convention not conducted in line with due process, stating that “INEC is not entitled to give effect to the outcome of any political party convention that fails to comply with the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and relevant party guidelines.”
