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Federal High Court in Abuja fixes October 31 for ruling in suit seeking to stop PDP National Convention.
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Plaintiffs allege violation of PDP Constitution, citing absence of valid state Congresses before convention notice.
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PDP leadership urges court to decline jurisdiction, arguing party conventions are internal affairs
The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled October 31 for judgment in a suit seeking to stop the 2025 National Convention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on grounds of violating the party’s rules.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the date on Tuesday after hearing arguments from both sides.
The suit was instituted by Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman), and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South), who argued that the convention, scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, violates the PDP Constitution.
The plaintiffs claimed no valid Congresses were conducted in 14 states before the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) issued the convention notice.
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Nine defendants are named, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Umar Baturrle (National Organising Secretary), NWC, NEC, and officials Umar Iliya Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi.
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Justice Omotosho reaffirmed that his order maintaining the status quo regarding the convention must be respected and warned that any breach could be nullified during the pendency of the case.
During proceedings, Joseph Daudu SAN, representing the plaintiffs, urged the court to view the complaints not as internal party matters but as enforcement of the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022, and PDP Constitution. He emphasized that INEC is constitutionally required to monitor party Congresses before validating conventions.
In response, acting PDP National Chairman Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, through Paul Erokoro SAN, asked the court to decline jurisdiction, arguing that conventions and Congresses are internal party affairs.
Eyitayo Jegede SAN, representing the NWC and NEC, aligned with this position, asserting that courts cannot intervene in internal party matters.
