Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 31 for judgement in a suit seeking to stop the 2025 National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the grounds of alleged violations of the party’s rules.
Justice Omotosho fixed the date after taking arguments for and against the suit filed by three aggrieved members of the party.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the judge reaffirmed his earlier order directing all parties to maintain the status quo regarding the planned convention, warning that the order must not be flouted.
He cautioned that he would not hesitate to nullify any step taken by any of the parties while the matter remains pending before the court.
During the hearing, Joseph Daudu (SAN), counsel to the three plaintiffs, urged the court not to treat their grievances as mere internal affairs of the party but as an effort to ensure adherence to the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the PDP Constitution.
The senior lawyer argued that the Nigerian Constitution mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor political party congresses before such exercises can be deemed valid.
According to him, the plaintiffs’ complaint was that no valid congresses were conducted in 14 states before the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) issued a notice for the November 15 and 16 convention.
However, the acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum, represented by Paul Erokoro (SAN), urged the court to decline jurisdiction, contending that issues relating to conventions and congresses are internal matters of the party.
His position was supported by Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), who represented the PDP’s NWC and NEC. Jegede argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to inquire into the internal affairs of a political party.
The plaintiffs, Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman), and Turnah George (PDP Secretary, South-South), filed the suit to stop the planned November 15 and 16, 2025 National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, where new national officers are expected to be elected.
They alleged that the planned convention breaches the party’s constitution.
The nine defendants in the suit are: the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the party; Umar Bature, National Organising Secretary; the National Working Committee (NWC); the National Executive Committee (NEC); Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum; Ali Odefa; and Emmanuel Ogidi.
