“Court Hears PDP Convention Dispute Today” — Oyo High Court To Rule On Adelabi’s Motion Against Party Leadership

An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan will today hear the motion on notice filed by Folahan Malomo Adelabi against the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), its Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and others over the National Convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2025.

Meanwhile, Democracy Watch Initiative (DWI) has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently check what it described as the “excesses” of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

United Kingdom-based lawyer, human rights activist, and 2027 PDP governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Niyi Aborisade, also expressed confidence that the crisis-ridden party would rise again.

Last week, while ruling on an ex parte motion, Justice Ladiran Akintola ordered the PDP to proceed with its National Convention in Ibadan. The judge also adjourned till November 10, 2025, for the hearing of the motion on notice.

Folahan Malomo Adelabi, the claimant/applicant in suit number I/1336/2025, had dragged the PDP, Damagum (for himself and members of the party’s National Working Committee and National Executive Committee), the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (for himself and members of the National Convention Organising Committee), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court.

The suit seeks an order restraining the defendants or their agents from truncating or frustrating the conduct of the party’s scheduled national convention.

While ruling on the ex parte motion, the court ordered the PDP leadership to adhere strictly to the guidelines, timetable, and schedule of activities previously released for the convention. It also directed the party and its relevant committees to hold the elective national convention as planned in Ibadan, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. The judge further instructed INEC to attend and observe the conduct of the convention in line with the Electoral Act.

DWI expressed concern over Wike’s “increasingly authoritarian and destabilising actions,” warning that they pose a grave threat to Nigeria’s democratic order.

In a statement, DWI Director of Strategic Communication, Dr Tunji Bamidele, said the organisation felt “compelled to address the alarming actions of Wike,” whom he accused of systematically undermining democratic institutions and political parties across the country.

He stated: “Nyesom Wike, once a mere creek boy during the turbulent times when patriotic citizens fought valiantly for democracy, now wields power in a manner that undermines the very principles he once benefited from. His actions are not merely misguided; they represent a calculated assault on the democratic fabric of our nation.

“In recent months, Wike has waged a relentless campaign against political parties, sowing discord and confusion within organisations such as the Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC). His tactics have escalated alarmingly as he now seeks to destabilise the PDP, an institution central to Nigeria’s democratic journey.”

The group also urged the United States, the United Kingdom, and other members of the international community to monitor developments and hold accountable individuals “who actively undermine democracy in Nigeria.”

Speaking with The Guardian in Ibadan on the growing internal rifts, Aborisade warned that the PDP could not continue pretending that all was well, stressing that the situation had “fermented” beyond control.

“There is a serious problem within our party. We cannot pretend that all is well when it is not. This is a critical stage where we cannot afford prolonged internal wranglings. We must come together to defeat our enemy. Our party has been infiltrated. The hand indeed is that of Esau, but the voice is that of Jacob,” Aborisade said.

The UK-based activist also expressed concern over the exodus of PDP members to the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting defections by sitting governors, senators, and members of the House of Representatives as troubling signs.

“You can imagine how many serving governors, senators, and House of Reps members have defected to the APC. This is telling us something. Why should serving governors be defecting and still feel secure?” he asked.

Despite the turbulence, Aborisade expressed optimism that the PDP would eventually overcome its internal crises and reclaim its position as Nigeria’s leading political force.

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