Preparations for Saturday’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elective national convention have intensified despite conflicting court rulings over its legality. The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan on Thursday extended its interim order restraining any interference with the convention, scheduled to hold at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan. The court fixed Friday for the hearing of the substantive case.
LEADERSHIP reports that party leaders, including the National Secretary of the convention, Senator Ben Obi, sub-committee chairmen, and delegates, have arrived in the Oyo State capital for the convention, which will elect new national officers.
The legal tussle surrounding the event stems from separate suits filed by the camps of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, both seeking to halt the gathering through Abuja court injunctions. While two Abuja High Courts granted their requests, the Ibadan court cleared the party to proceed.
The crisis reflects an ongoing struggle for control within the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections a feud largely between the Amb. Illiya Damagum-led faction, supported by PDP governors, and the Wike group, which has reportedly aligned with the ruling APC.
In response to the Abuja rulings, the PDP leadership under Damagum maintained its resolve to proceed with the convention. National Publicity Secretary Hon. Debo Ologunagba, in a statement, said the event would hold as scheduled from November 15 to 16 in Ibadan, dismissing “misleading claims” aimed at derailing the process.
He accused the APC of plotting to destabilise the opposition and “impose a one-party state,” vowing that such attempts would be resisted.
Meanwhile, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court reaffirmed that his earlier order allowing the convention to proceed remains valid pending determination of the main suit.
In his ruling, Akintola emphasised adherence to the PDP’s approved guidelines and timetable, while directing all parties to maintain order. The judge also adjourned the matter to Friday for hearing.
Commenting on the development, Oyo PDP chairman Hon. Dayo Ogungbenro dismissed fears over the Abuja ruling, insisting that “nothing can stop our convention. We are preparing, and it will hold by the grace of God.”
The ongoing legal contest underscores the party’s deepening internal divisions and the high stakes surrounding its leadership ahead of the 2027 elections.
