PDP Convention: Four Governors Storm Ibadan As INEC signals Boycott

Four governors of the Peoples Democratic Party have arrived in Ibadan, Oyo State, as the party pushes forward with its national convention despite a Federal High Court order suspending the exercise.

The South-West chairman of the party, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, on Friday, confirmed the development to Saturday.

He confirmed the presence of the governors of Bauchi (Bala Mohammed), Zamfara (Dauda Lawal), Adamawa (Ahmadu Fintiri) and Oyo (Seyi Makinde) ahead of the convention

Conflicting court rulings

The PDP has been engulfed in crises, with factions loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, and the acting Chairman Umar Damagum, locked in a bitter confrontation over the convention scheduled for today and Sunday, November 16.

In the build-up to the convention, a former governor of Jigawa, Sule Lamido, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to seek justice after being denied the opportunity to purchase the PDP national chairmanship nomination form.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Peter Lifu ordered the party to suspend the convention

He also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from supervising, monitoring or recognising any convention conducted by the PDP without including the plaintiff as a contestant.

Justice Lifu held that evidence before the court established that Lamido was denied the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest for the position of National Chairman of the party.

The court affirmed that the PDP was duty-bound to create opportunities for its members to serve by adopting deliberate measures that enabled them to pursue their political aspirations.

As a consequential order, Justice Lifu directed that the planned convention be put on hold to allow Lamido to obtain the nomination form, mobilise supporters and conduct his campaign.

“An order is hereby made that before any convention is held, the PDP is to make nomination forms available to the plaintiff,” the judge declared.

Recall that on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Justice Lifu delivered a similar ruling restraining the PDP from holding the convention, which was intended to elect new national officers to lead the party.

Lamido, through his counsel, Jephthah Njikonye, SAN, had filed an ex parte motion, seeking an interim injunction to stop the convention pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

The former Jigawa State governor, in his suit, stated that if the PDP was not restrained, the party would be violating its constitution and, by implication, denying him the opportunity to contest for the position of national chairman.

Justice Lifu, while delivering a ruling in the motion, held that the plaintiff’s application had merit and consequently restrained the PDP from convening the event pending the determination of the substantive matter before the court.

He argued that there was no reason to depart from an earlier ruling delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the same court on October 31, 2025, which similarly halted the planned convention and restrained INEC from participating.

However, in a conflicting order, the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan on November 3 permitted the PDP to proceed with the convention.

Justice Ladiran Akintola approved the convention while ruling on an ex parte application filed by an Oyo PDP member, Mr Folahan Adelabi, and directed INEC to attend and monitor the convention for the election of new national officers.

Reacting to Friday’s ruling, Ajisafe denied knowledge of Lifu’s new order.

He said, “We’re not aware of any fresh court ruling. This is almost 6 o’clock, and none of the party’s leaders is aware of the ruling you’re talking about.

“The convention will hold. Nothing will stop it because we are obeying the Ibadan High Court ruling that directed us to proceed with the convention.

“As I speak to you, we already have four governors from Bauchi, Zamfara, Adamawa and Oyo states on the ground. We are 98 per cent ready for the convention, and nothing will stop us.”

 Delegates arrive venue

Checks by our correspondents, who were at the venue of the convention on Friday night, confirmed that preparations for the event had been completed.

Delegates from different states were seen in elated mood as they danced to the rhythm of traditional drums.

Around past 8pm, the Chairman of Adamawa PDP, Hamza Madagali, came to the venue of the convention with his entourage, perhaps to assess the level of preparedness for the elective convention.

Reports have it that delegates from Lagos, FCT, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Delta had arrived at the venue, while delegates from other states were still trooping in as of the time of this report.

An Armoured Personnel Carrier with stern-looking security operatives was also noticed at the entrance to the convention venue.

 INEC signals boycott

It was relatively gathered that INEC would not be monitoring the convention.

A senior official of the commission involved in monitoring party conventions said, “INEC will not monitor the PDP convention.”

Another INEC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed the commission’s commitment to the law.

“INEC is law-abiding. We will obey the FCT High Court,” the source said.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the commission had earlier prepared a press statement to clarify its position on whether it would monitor the convention, but the statement was later withdrawn.

Attempts to reach the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, were unsuccessful, as she neither answered her calls nor replied to messages.

Efforts to speak with other directors in the commission also yielded no response.

Source: PUNCH