A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has rejected the expulsion of several senior party figures announced at Saturday’s convention in Ibadan.
Four state chapters have also dismissed the convention’s outcome, a development analysts interpret as a pushback against Governor Seyi Makinde’s attempt to consolidate control of the party.
More than 3,000 delegates met in Ibadan on Saturday to elect new leaders for the opposition party despite opposing court directives.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had on Friday ordered the PDP to halt its national convention and restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from monitoring it.
Delivering judgment in a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that Lamido was unfairly denied the chance to obtain nomination forms to contest for the position of National Chairman, a breach of the PDP Constitution and its internal procedures.
Justice Lifu held that the party must create opportunities for its members to pursue their political ambitions and ordered that the convention be suspended until Lamido is allowed to obtain forms, mobilise supporters and campaign.
“An order is hereby made that before any convention is held, the PDP is to make nomination forms available to the plaintiff.
“In the light of the above, it is hereby held that the convention be put on hold for the plaintiff to obtain a nomination form, campaign and mobilise supporters,” the judge ruled.
Justice Lifu had issued a similar order on November 11, 2025, stopping the convention meant to elect new national officers.
Lamido, through his counsel, Jephthah Njikonye, SAN, sought an interim injunction to prevent the convention until the substantive suit is determined.
He argued that proceeding with the convention without allowing him to contest would amount to violating the party’s constitution.
Justice Lifu agreed, ruling that there was no basis to depart from an earlier judgment by Justice James Omotosho on October 31, 2025, which also halted the convention and barred INEC from participating.
But in a contradictory ruling, the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan authorised the PDP to proceed with the convention.
Justice Ladiran Akintola granted an ex parte request by party member Folahan Adelabi and directed INEC to attend and monitor the election of new national officers.
The opposing rulings split the PDP into two major blocs: one loyal to Wike and the other aligned with PDP governors and the party’s national structures.
At the Ibadan convention, following a motion by former Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Bode George, the party expelled Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, ex–National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih, and several others.
One of those expelled, Abdulrahman Mohammed, dismissed the development as laughable and declared he would continue serving as Acting National Chairman.
Mohammed had been named Acting Chairman by the Wike-aligned faction after the suspension of the former National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and members of the National Working Committee.
Speaking to The PUNCH, Mohammed insisted no valid convention took place in Ibadan.
“What happened in Ibadan was not a convention. It was held in violation of a valid court order. Nigerians should not lose sleep because the PDP remains on course to offer them good governance,” he said, adding that the expulsion was invalid.
Asked whether he would challenge it in court, he responded, “What is there to challenge? What happened was illegal.”
Umar Bature, who recently served as the National Organising Secretary, also rejected the event, calling it illegal and insisting he remains in office until December 8, 2025, when the Damagum-led NWC’s tenure expires.
Bature argued that nothing done at the Ibadan gathering holds legal weight.
A member of the Wike-led faction and Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, maintained that the expulsions were void because the convention “Violated a court order.”
Osadolor said the governors who attended merely “entertained themselves,” insisting that only 17 state chapters were accredited — too few to produce a valid convention.
He urged Governor Makinde to apologise to party leaders nationwide and join efforts to revive the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.
In the Southwest, the PDP zonal leadership praised Governor Makinde, saying he had “rescued the party from aggressors” and restored public confidence.
Zonal Publicity Secretary, Sanya Atofarati, commended PDP governors for supporting the process and welcomed the newly elected national officers.
He described Makinde as “the biblical Moses of the PDP” whose efforts had stabilised the party.
A former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, was elected National Chairman alongside other officers, with governors from Bauchi, Oyo, Adamawa, Zamfara, and Plateau in attendance.
Ahead of the convention, the party had zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South and the national chairmanship to the North.
North-West leaders had endorsed Turaki as a consensus candidate after a series of meetings in October.
The Rivers State PDP commended INEC for rejecting the Ibadan convention, declaring that its outcome cannot stand because it violated two court rulings.
Publicity Secretary Kenneth Yowika said the convention amounted to a charade and praised INEC for upholding the law.
The statement accused the organisers of ignoring Justice Omotosho’s judgment, which barred INEC from monitoring the convention over improper signing of the notice of convention.
Yowika also commended INEC for acknowledging Justice Peter Lifu’s order, which halted the event due to Lamido’s inability to obtain nomination forms.
Similarly, the Akwa Ibom PDP dissociated itself from the convention, calling it unlawful and hailing INEC for staying away.
Publicity Secretary Edwin Ebiese said the disregard for court judgments proved the Ibadan event lacked legal validity.
He warned that some party members had abandoned democratic values and vowed to work with “true democrats” to reclaim the party.
The Jigawa State PDP also denied sending delegates to the convention.
State Chairman Babandi Gumel, in a statement on Facebook, said those claiming to represent Jigawa were impostors and reaffirmed support for Lamido’s legal challenge.
He urged members to ignore fraudulent claims and prioritise dialogue to resolve the crisis.
A founding member of the PDP and former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, warned that the crisis threatens Nigeria’s democracy if not quickly resolved.
He said the PDP was founded on inclusion, unity, and consensus-building, but current practices — “fragmentation, court-induced confusion, and exclusionary politics” — contradict those ideals.
He urged party leaders to pursue reconciliation and expansion rather than expulsions.
On claims that only 17 states participated, Chief Bode George told The PUNCH that all states and the FCT were represented.
He urged Wike to join the APC and support President Bola Tinubu, saying the PDP had “helped him by expelling him.”
Responding to claims that INEC did not monitor the convention, he insisted the gathering was legitimate and called on INEC to focus on conducting credible elections.
The APC mocked the PDP over the expulsions and internal turmoil, describing the situation as evidence of persistent leadership shortcomings.
Deputy National Organising Secretary Nze Chidi Duru said the APC would not intervene in PDP’s internal problems but could offer “a crash programme” on party management.
He noted that the PDP is so divided that it is unclear who speaks for the party.
Arodiogbu, another APC official, dismissed suggestions that the expelled PDP leaders might join the ruling party, adding that the APC had received no such indications.
Duru maintained that while the APC prefers a viable opposition, the PDP must resolve its own crisis.
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