Former Governor of Jigawa State and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido, has said he feels deeply saddened for dragging his own party before a Federal High Court in Abuja over his exclusion from the upcoming 2025 PDP National Convention.
Lamido, a founding member of the PDP and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, said it was painful for him to take legal action against the party he helped build from the beginning. However, he explained that he had no other choice after being denied the opportunity to purchase the nomination form to contest for the position of National Chairman ahead of the scheduled convention.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the court ruling on Tuesday, Lamido said, “I feel so sad dragging my party, the PDP, to court. I feel like crying taking this path. When we fight as brothers, the trust is lost; the bond of brotherhood is also lost.”
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, on Tuesday, issued an interim order stopping the PDP from going ahead with its 2025 National Convention. The convention had been scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, from November 15 to 16.
Justice Lifu also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from supervising, monitoring, or recognizing any outcome of the convention, where new national officers were expected to be elected.
The court order followed a motion on notice filed by Lamido, who alleged that the PDP national leadership had unlawfully excluded him from participating in the forthcoming convention. He claimed that despite his efforts to buy the nomination form for the national chairmanship position, party officials refused to sell the form to him.
Justice Lifu ruled that Lamido had provided enough evidence showing that the PDP failed to comply with the laws and internal procedures governing the conduct of party conventions. The judge said the party did not publish its timetable or guidelines for members’ participation as required by law.
“The balance of convenience is in favour of the applicant (Lamido), who stands to suffer more harm if unlawfully excluded from the convention,” Justice Lifu said.
The judge further noted that in a constitutional democracy like Nigeria, due process must be respected by all political parties and institutions. He warned that ignoring the rule of law would pose a serious threat to democracy.
He also highlighted that courts must continue to play their role in ensuring justice, stating, “A court of law must not abdicate its duty to dispense justice without fear or favour. Anarchy will be the order of the day anytime the court fails to perform its constitutionally assigned duties.”
In his ruling, Justice Lifu ordered that the PDP must not hold its convention on November 15 or 16, or on any other date in Ibadan or elsewhere, until the matter is fully determined. He also barred INEC from monitoring or accepting the results of any such convention.
The case has been adjourned until November 13, when the court is expected to deliver judgment on the substantive suit filed by Lamido.
Lamido said the legal battle was not a personal attack on the PDP but an effort to ensure fairness and internal democracy within the party.
“As a bona fide member of the PDP, I approached the national leadership to buy the nomination form for the position of National Chairman, but I was denied. I had to go to court to seek justice,” he said.
He stressed that his intention was not to destroy the party but to strengthen it by ensuring that all members, regardless of their status, are treated equally.
“In this case, if my party loses, I also lose,” Lamido added. “This is my political family, and I have spent most of my life serving this party. So, it hurts me that I am forced to take this step.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s main opposition party, has been battling internal divisions since it lost the presidency to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015. Disagreements over leadership positions, zoning arrangements, and control of party structures have continued to threaten its unity.
The controversy surrounding the 2025 National Convention is the latest in a series of internal crises that have weakened the PDP’s cohesion ahead of future elections.
Lamido’s court case echoes earlier concerns raised by other senior members who have accused the party leadership of sidelining long-serving members and ignoring constitutional requirements during congresses and conventions.
Tuesday’s ruling was not the first legal setback for the PDP regarding its planned national convention. On October 31, another Federal High Court judge, Justice James Omotosho, issued a similar order restraining INEC from supervising or recognizing the outcome of the PDP’s convention if it goes ahead without following due process.
Justice Omotosho held that the PDP had failed to issue the mandatory 21 days’ notice to INEC before conducting its convention, as required by law. He warned that proceeding without proper notice would render the exercise illegal and invalid.
He advised the party to correct the identified procedural lapses before organizing any convention to elect new national officers.
“The PDP’s failure to comply with the Electoral Act and its own constitution has put the planned convention in jeopardy,” Justice Omotosho said in his earlier ruling.
Lamido’s statement has drawn sympathy from some PDP members, who describe his legal challenge as a “family issue” that should be resolved through dialogue rather than litigation.
A PDP source in Abuja, who did not want to be named, told reporters that Lamido’s exclusion might have been a result of internal power struggles within the party.
“Lamido has been part of the PDP from the beginning. Denying him the opportunity to contest sends a wrong signal to loyal members who have stayed with the party through thick and thin,” the source said.
Others, however, believe Lamido’s action will serve as a wake-up call for the PDP to adhere strictly to democratic principles. “The party needs to reform itself if it wants to regain public trust,” another member said.
With the November 15–16 convention now suspended, the PDP faces mounting pressure to resolve its internal differences and comply with the law before rescheduling the event.
The outcome of Lamido’s case could set a major precedent for how political parties in Nigeria conduct their internal affairs. It may also influence how INEC monitors party conventions and ensure greater accountability within the system.
For now, Sule Lamido insists his fight is not against the PDP but for its future. “I have always stood for justice and fairness,” he said. “All I want is for my party to do what is right.”