A Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Peoples Democratic Party to make arrangements for former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, to contest for the party’s national chairmanship position in its forthcoming convention.

Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the ruling on Friday, ordered the PDP to provide Lamido with the nomination form for the position and give him the opportunity to prepare for the election process.

In the judgment, Justice Lifu also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from supervising, monitoring, or recognising the outcome of any PDP convention conducted without including Lamido as a contestant for the position.

The court noted that evidence presented showed that Lamido was unjustly denied access to the nomination form required to contest for the National Chairmanship seat, in violation of the PDP’s Constitution and internal Regulations.

Justice Lifu held that the PDP had an obligation to create fair opportunities for its members to pursue leadership roles by putting in place deliberate mechanisms that allow them to realise their political aspirations.

The ruling further directed that the party’s planned national convention must be suspended until Lamido is allowed to obtain the nomination form, mobilise his supporters, and run his campaign in full.

The judgment stemmed from the suit filed by Lamido, in which he alleged that the PDP denied him the opportunity to contest the chairmanship position despite meeting all necessary requirements.

The Director of Mobilisation for the Obidient Movement, Morris Monye, has resigned from his position, citing poor coordination within the group and the strain of personally funding its activities.

In a statement released via his X handle on Thursday, Monye expressed frustration over what he described as weak organisational structure and lack of support from the movement’s leadership, which he said led to a poor outing in the recently concluded Anambra governorship election.

Monye stated, “Almost a year down the line, most of our short, medium, and long-term plans have not been met. I won’t be part of optics and no work. The poor showing at the Anambra election has also made my position untenable.”

He disclosed that he had personally financed the group’s nationwide mobilisation drives, covering travel expenses, voter awareness campaigns, local structure support, and logistics — all without any financial assistance from the leadership or the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Monye added, “No money was given to the Directorate of Mobilisation. There’s no bank account even for the directorate. In fact, Mr Peter Obi has never asked what we are doing in mobilisation — no communication, nothing.”

The former director also alleged that his role attracted harassment and intimidation from government supporters and security agencies. He said the constant pressure and lack of security took a toll on him and his family.

“It’s a role that paints a target on your back. I’ve had to remain silent so as not to discourage anyone or appear to be complaining, but it has taken a toll on me and my family, who can hardly understand it all,” he stated.

Monye highlighted several of his contributions to the movement, including creating an online registration platform for members, reviving inactive support groups, setting up regional and local offices, and launching the Obidient NextGen university campus network.

He noted that he also helped raise campaign funds for the Obidient candidate in the Anambra election and began an initiative to equip polling unit agents with affordable body cameras for transparency — a project he urged his successor to complete.

According to him, “The next director must follow up on this. We have not closed it out yet. You can’t run a campaign simply from general goodwill. This is not 2023. The element of surprise is gone.”

Reflecting on his tenure, Monye described his service in the Obidient Movement as a “privilege” but said it was time for “someone else to carry the mantle.”

Morris Monye, known as one of the movement’s prominent figures, played a key role in its early mobilisation phase. The Obidient Movement, inspired by Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, evolved into a grassroots political force largely driven by youthful supporters and social media advocacy.

As of press time, the leadership of the movement, including the National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, had yet to issue a response to Monye’s resignation or the concerns he raised.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has again halted the planned national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party scheduled to take place in Ibadan, Oyo State, between November 15 and 16.

The court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from supervising, monitoring, or recognising any outcome from the convention, where new national officers were expected to be elected. The ruling, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu on Tuesday, followed an application filed by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido.

Lamido had approached the court alleging that he was unfairly excluded from the chairmanship race after being denied the opportunity to purchase the nomination form. He argued that the action violated his right to participate in the process.

Justice Lifu, in his ruling, said the restraining order became necessary because the PDP failed to comply with statutory provisions guiding the conduct of party conventions. He observed that the evidence before the court showed the party had not published a timetable for the exercise, which amounted to a breach of due process.

The judge further ruled that the balance of convenience favoured Lamido, noting that the former governor would suffer irreparable harm if unlawfully excluded from the process. “In a constitutional democracy, due process of law must be strictly observed by those in authority. To act otherwise is to endanger the very foundation of democracy itself,” he stated.

Justice Lifu added that, under Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution, the judiciary must not shirk its duty to uphold justice without fear or favour. He warned that failure by courts to discharge their constitutional responsibilities could result in anarchy.

In his final order, Justice Lifu restrained the PDP from holding the national convention in Ibadan or any other location on the scheduled dates or thereafter. He also ordered INEC not to monitor or recognise the outcome of any such gathering organised by the party.

This is not the first time the court has stopped the PDP’s planned convention. In October 2025, another Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice James Omotosho had issued a similar order. That suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by three party officials — Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman), and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South).

The aggrieved members had argued that the planned convention violated both the Electoral Act and the PDP’s constitution, and urged the court to halt it until the party complied with due process.

However, on November 4, the Oyo State High Court had granted the PDP permission to proceed with preparations for the convention. Justice Akintola, ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by Folahan Adelabi, gave an interim order allowing the party to continue planning the exercise without interference.

The motion listed the PDP, Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri (Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee), and INEC as respondents.

Justice Akintola later adjourned hearing on a Motion on Notice filed by another applicant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi, against the same respondents to allow all parties time to file and exchange necessary legal documents before substantive hearing.