Fresh Crisis Rocks PDP as Courts Halt Ibadan Convention Amid Leadership Defiance

A fresh wave of crisis has hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as two separate court orders have restrained both the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from proceeding with the planned national convention in Ibadan.

Despite these rulings, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, announced on Wednesday that the convention would go ahead as scheduled. His declaration has ignited outrage among some stakeholders and heightened existing divisions within the PDP.

Speaking with opitanglobamedia news, Hon. Austine Nwachukwu, Chairman of the Imo State PDP and one of the petitioners behind the court action, cautioned the PDP’s national leadership against disobeying the judiciary. He described any move to proceed with the convention as contempt of court, warning that such defiance could invite grave legal consequences.

“The courts are there; the government of the courts is there. Whoever infringes on the court’s orders knows the appropriate sanctions,” Nwachukwu said.

Two Courts, Two Orders — PDP in Legal Limbo

According to Nwachukwu, the restraining directives emanated from two different Federal High Courts. The first, delivered by Justice Omotosho on October 31, barred the PDP and INEC from conducting or monitoring the convention until internal disputes from recent congresses were resolved.

A second interim order by Justice Lifu on Tuesday reaffirmed the restriction, extending it for seven days pending a substantive judgment expected on Friday. “Justice Lifu granted an interim order that will remain in force for seven days. It restrains PDP from holding the convention and also restrains INEC from monitoring it,” Nwachukwu explained.

He expressed dismay that the PDP’s national secretariat appeared willing to ignore both judgments. “Why would they still want to go ahead? If they do, they do so in full knowledge of the law and its consequences,” he stated.

Leadership Defiance and Internal Fractures

Despite the mounting legal and political tension, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and the 2025 National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) insist the Ibadan convention will hold on November 15.

In a statement from Abuja, Ologunagba described reports of a postponement as “false and misleading,” claiming they were sponsored by individuals “recruited by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to disrupt the national convention.” He assured members and supporters that all preparations were in top gear.

“The NCOC and the party will continue to work assiduously around the clock to ensure a successful national convention in Ibadan,” he said, adding that delegates and officials had already begun arriving in the Oyo State capital.

Observers, however, warn that defying the courts could worsen divisions within the PDP, where tensions between the national leadership and several state chapters have been growing. As Justice Lifu prepares to deliver his ruling on Friday, all eyes remain on the Peoples Democratic Party’s next move — one that could either reaffirm its commitment to rule of law or deepen its internal rift ahead of the 2027 elections