The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was ordered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday to postpone its national convention, which was set for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Judge Peter Lifu’s ruling in the lawsuit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido prohibited the Independent National Electoral Commission from overseeing, observing, or approving any convention run by the PDP that did not include the plaintiff as a candidate.
According to Justice Lifu, the evidence presented to the court proved that Lamido was unfairly excluded from obtaining a nomination form to run for the party’s National Chairman post, in violation of the PDP Constitution and its internal rules.
The court upheld the PDP’s need to give its members opportunities to serve by enacting intentional policies that allow them to follow their political goals.
As a result, Lifu ordered that the convention be postponed so that Lamido could get the nomination form, organize supporters, and run his 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 mobilize supporters,” the judge declared.
Remember that Lifu issued a similar decision on Tuesday, November 11, prohibiting the PDP from hosting the convention, which was meant to choose new national officers to head the organization.
Lamido filed an ex parte motion through his attorney, Jephthah Njikonye (SAN), requesting an interim injunction to halt the convention until the lawsuit is heard and decided.
In his lawsuit, Lamido claimed that if the PDP is not restrained, it will be in violation of its constitution and, implicitly, depriving him of the chance to run for national chairman, a post for which he is highly qualified.
While delivering the decision in the motion, Lifu determined that the plaintiff’s application had validity and, as a result, prohibited the PDP from holding the event while the court decided the substantive issue.
Lifu stated that he saw no cause to deviate from a previous decision made by Justice James Omotosho of the same court on October 31, 2025, which similarly prevented INEC from taking part in the PDP’s planned convention.
In the meantime, the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan gave the PDP permission to hold the convention in a contradictory ruling.
In his decision on an ex parte application submitted by Mr. Folahan Adelabi, a member of the Oyo PDP, Justice A. L. Akintola granted the approval and instructed INEC to attend and oversee the convention for the election of new national executives.
