PDP CONVENTION DRAMA: COURT REAFFIRMS ORDER, WARNS AGAINST SELF-HELP AS POWER TUSSLE DEEPENS

A fresh wave of tension has gripped the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the Federal High Court in Abuja reaffirmed its order mandating all parties to maintain the status quo regarding the party’s forthcoming national convention.

Delivering a stern warning on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho insisted that no individual, faction, or organ of the party should take any step capable of undermining the pending court decision or rendering it nugatory. He cautioned that the court would not hesitate to issue consequential orders against any party that attempts to circumvent the judicial process through acts of self-help.

The warning came after Chief Chris Uche, SAN, counsel to one of the PDP factions, lamented that his client was being hampered by the subsisting order and pleaded for a speedy hearing of the suit to clear uncertainties surrounding the convention.

Justice Omotosho assured all parties that judgment in the matter would be delivered before the end of October, emphasizing the need for decorum and respect for the rule of law.

> “Once a suit is before the court and parties have been duly served, no one should take any step that may pre-empt or frustrate the judicial process,” the judge declared. “The court must not be overreached, and where such happens, I have the power to nullify any action taken in defiance of the law. Let us respect the process—it’s in our collective interest.”

He further disclosed that he personally types his judgments to ensure prompt delivery, assuring that there would be no delay once the case is concluded.

Meanwhile, the court has fixed Monday, October 20, for definite hearing of the substantive suit filed by three aggrieved PDP chieftains — Hon. Austin Nwachukwu (Imo State PDP Chairman), Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia State PDP Chairman), and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South).

The trio is challenging the legality of the planned National Convention slated for November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State, where new national officers are expected to emerge.

Justice Omotosho ordered that all parties exchange their court processes by October 17 to ensure an unhindered hearing.

At the stormy proceeding, a brief drama ensued as two senior lawyers, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, the party’s National Legal Adviser, and Chris Uche, SAN, both claimed to represent the PDP in the same case. The judge, however, directed them to file their respective arguments so the court could determine the authentic legal representation for the party.

The nine defendants in the suit include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Umar Bature (National Organizing Secretary), the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi.

As the legal fireworks intensify, party insiders say the case could either stabilize or fracture the already divided opposition ahead of its much-anticipated convention — a contest many analysts describe as a battle for the PDP’s political soul.