Fresh Turmoil Rocks PDP as Wike Loyalists Move to Void Ibadan Convention
The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Tuesday as loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, dragged the party before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to nullify its November 15–16 national convention held in Ibadan.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, the plaintiffs — listed as the PDP, acting national chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman, and national secretary Samuel Anyanwu — urged the court to invalidate the convention and restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising any of the officers or resolutions that emerged from the exercise.
The Wike-aligned faction argued that the convention was convened in violation of a series of subsisting court orders. They cited three judgments they claimed were ignored in the build-up to the event: the October 31 ruling in Austine Nwachukwu v INEC; the interim and final orders of November 11 and 14 in Sule Lamido v PDP; and the May 31, 2023 judgment in Nyesom Wike v PDP.
According to them, these rulings had implications for the statutory 21-day notice required for convening a national convention, and ought to have halted the Ibadan gathering entirely.
Despite these alleged infringements, the suit stated, the fifth to twenty-fifth defendants proceeded with the convention, producing new national officers and announcing suspensions and expulsions — many of which affected members perceived to be loyal to Wike.
Tensions within the party’s national secretariat also featured prominently in the filing. In an affidavit, Anyanwu alleged that a rival faction attempted to “forcibly take over” the PDP’s Wadata Plaza and Legacy House offices on November 18.
He further claimed that, instead of enforcing the earlier court orders, security operatives locked up the buildings and blocked him and the acting chairman from accessing their offices.
“The 2nd to 4th defendants have now sealed up the premises of the 1st plaintiff and denied the 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs access to their offices,” the affidavit read.
The plaintiffs are seeking judicial pronouncements affirming that INEC, the police and the DSS are bound to enforce the previous court rulings. They also want an order restraining any institution or authority from recognising the Ibadan convention, as well as directives compelling security agencies to restore their access to the party facilities.
The suit further requests the court to determine whether any authority can lawfully validate the convention in light of the pending judgments.
As at press time, the matter had not been assigned to a judge.
EDITOR
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, as well as M.Sc Mass Communication with Second Class(Upper Division) at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is the immediate past NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
