PDP Awaits Court Verdict on National Convention Tomorrow

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will learn on Friday whether it can go ahead with its planned national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, as the Federal High Court in Abuja is set to deliver judgment in a suit seeking to halt the exercise.

Justice James Omotosho fixed the date after hearing final arguments in the case filed by three PDP officials: Austine Nwachukwu, Imo State chairman; Amah Abraham Nnanna, Abia State chairman; and Turnah George, the party’s South-South secretary.

The defendants in the suit include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, the National Working Committee (NWC), and the National Executive Committee (NEC).

The plaintiffs, reportedly allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, a vocal critic of the convention, asked the court to stop the event, claiming that the party failed to follow its constitution, the 1999 Constitution, and the Electoral Act in preparing for the convention. They argued that “no congress was conducted in 14 states,” insisting that the case raises legal issues that cannot be dismissed as internal party matters.

The PDP, however, maintained that the suit concerns its internal affairs and falls outside the jurisdiction of the court. The party accused the claimants of attempting to destabilise preparations for a legitimate leadership transition.

Observers say the case is a key test of unity within the opposition party, which has struggled to reconcile rival factions ahead of the 2027 elections.

Complicating matters, PDP National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu, also an ally of Wike, recently alleged that his signature was forged on documents sent to INEC notifying it of the convention. The party’s NWC and Board of Trustees have dismissed the allegation as baseless.

In a separate case, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has approached the court to challenge his alleged disqualification from purchasing the chairmanship nomination form, describing it as an attempt to block genuine contestants.

Meanwhile, the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) indefinitely postponed the screening of aspirants initially scheduled for October 28, a move seen by many analysts as an effort to await the court’s verdict before proceeding with further convention preparations.