The legal battle over the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s 2025 National Convention took another dramatic turn on Friday as the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan reaffirmed that the convention scheduled for Saturday, November 15, and Sunday, November 16, 2025, can go ahead as planned. This is despite a conflicting order from the Federal High Court in Abuja that halted the same convention earlier in the day.
Justice Ladiran Akintola, who presided over the case filed by a PDP member, Mr. Folahan Adelabi, adjourned ruling on a preliminary objection until December 8, 2025. However, he insisted that the interim order previously granted by the court—restraining the defendants from disrupting or interfering with the preparations for the PDP national convention—remains valid and unvacated. By this position, the Ibadan court effectively cleared the way for today’s convention to proceed.
At the resumed hearing, counsel representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. O. Adeyemi, challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that INEC is a federal agency and therefore subject only to the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. Adeyemi stressed that because INEC is a Federal Government institution involved in election-related matters, state high courts cannot hear cases in which the commission is a party.
He urged the court to strike out the case for lack of jurisdiction, stating that the proper place for such a suit was the Federal High Court.
However, counsel to the claimant, Mr. Musibau Adetumbi, SAN, strongly opposed this position. He argued that the suit was not about conducting a national election, but about protecting the claimant’s fundamental rights, including his right to lawful assembly and participation in political activities. He said that these rights are guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution and can be enforced before any High Court in Nigeria.
Citing Section 251 of the Constitution, Adetumbi stated that INEC is not among the federal bodies that require exclusive adjudication by the Federal High Court in matters related to fundamental rights. He argued that the objection raised by INEC was baseless and urged the court to dismiss it and proceed with the substantive case.
After hearing submissions from both sides, Justice Akintola adjourned the ruling on jurisdiction to December 8, 2025. He also reaffirmed that the interim order earlier issued by the court remains in force. That order restrains the defendants from taking any action that would disrupt or interfere with preparations for the convention.
This means that the PDP, its Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagun, and the Chairman of the Convention Organising Committee, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, are protected from any internal or external disruption as they proceed with the event.
Speaking after the court session, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, counsel to the 5th, 6th, and 7th defendants who are seeking to be joined in the case, criticized the adjournment. He described the delay as unnecessary and said it may extend the uncertainty surrounding the convention.
The current defendants in the suit include the PDP (1st defendant), its Acting National Chairman Umar Damagun (2nd defendant), Governor Ahmadu Fintiri who heads the convention committee (3rd defendant), and INEC (4th defendant).
It will be recalled that the same Oyo State High Court had earlier extended an interim order restraining any interference with the preparations for the PDP convention. That earlier order was granted after the claimant, Mr. Adelabi, went to court complaining that some forces within and outside the party were planning to disrupt the convention.
The Oyo court, in that instance, ruled that the status quo must be maintained until the substantive issues were heard. Friday’s decision keeps that position intact.
The development has created a confusing legal situation for the PDP, as Friday’s ruling from the Oyo State High Court directly contradicts an order issued earlier in the day by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In Abuja, Justice Peter Odo Lifu issued a final judgment in a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido. Justice Lifu barred the PDP from holding the Ibadan convention until Lamido is allowed to purchase a nomination form to contest for the position of National Chairman. The Abuja court also stopped INEC from supervising or recognizing the convention.
Lamido had argued that he was denied the opportunity to contest for the party’s top office and that the PDP failed to follow its constitution and guidelines in preparing for the event. The judge agreed and ruled that the scheduled convention must be put on hold.
This Abuja ruling came on the heels of an earlier judgment delivered on October 31 by Justice James Omotosho, also of the Federal High Court, who restrained INEC from recognizing the outcome of the planned convention. Justice Omotosho had held that the PDP failed to meet several legal requirements for organizing such an event, including conducting congresses in all states and issuing the necessary 21-day notice to INEC.
With the conflicting orders, the PDP is now caught in a serious legal storm. While the Abuja courts say the convention cannot hold, the Oyo State High Court insists it must proceed because its earlier interim order is still in force.
For the PDP, the challenge is even bigger. The party has been struggling to rebuild itself after losing power at the federal level and suffering internal divisions over leadership and direction. The 2025 convention was expected to mark a fresh start, with new national officers being elected to reposition the party for future elections.
But the ongoing legal disputes could derail those plans and deepen existing tensions within the party.
For now, the Oyo State High Court’s order means that the convention scheduled for this weekend is set to proceed—at least in theory. However, the Abuja order stopping the convention remains legally binding unless overturned by a higher court.
The situation places INEC in a difficult position. While the Oyo court says the commission must not interfere with preparations, the Abuja court says INEC must not supervise or recognize the event. INEC must now decide which order to obey.
As things stand, the PDP faces one of the most complex legal and political challenges in its history. Whether the convention goes on or not, the internal crisis clearly signals that the road ahead will be difficult for the party.
