Ambition and Legal Battles Stall PDP Convention, Threaten 2027 Election Prospects

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing its deepest crisis yet as internal rivalries, legal disputes, and high-profile defections continue to derail its planned national convention in Ibadan and cast doubts over its chances in the 2027 general elections.

Court injunctions have now placed the Ibadan convention, dubbed “Ibadan 2025”, on hold. Justice Lifu barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring the event, while Justice Omotosho ordered its postponement pending the resolution of a suit filed by the Mohammed Abdulrahman-led faction. The ruling followed a motion by former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido, who argued that proceeding with the convention would deny him a fair chance to contest for the national chairmanship.

The crisis intensified after key figures in the convention planning committee, including Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, who recently defected to the APCz resigned from their posts. Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa, who chaired the zoning committee, also defected, worsening internal instability. In response, Senator Ben Obi was appointed as convention secretary in a bid to restore calm.

With two rival National Working Committees (NWCs) and parallel Boards of Trustees, INEC has now recognised Umar Ilya Damagum as the legitimate PDP national chairman. Yet, the Abdulrahman faction insists that all convention plans remain suspended pending its appeal, deepening uncertainty about the party’s future.


Stakeholders Blame Internal Sabotage and Judicial Confusion

Senior Advocate of Nigeria Mba Ekpezu Ukweni said the crisis is self-inflicted and rooted in the fallout of the 2022 presidential primaries, particularly Nyesom Wike’s loss of the presidential and vice-presidential slots. According to him, Wike’s “pull-down-the-house” strategy and the ambitions of the G-5 governors fractured the party’s base nationwide.

He also warned that politically influenced court judgments are worsening the PDP’s divisions and threatening Nigeria’s democratic balance. “The weakening of the PDP poses broader risks to national stability,” Ukweni cautioned.

Legal analyst John Nwobodo urged the party to heed court decisions and resolve its internal disputes, while lawyer Justice Enwerem warned against politicians using the judiciary to sabotage democracy.

Pastor Olusegun Ogungbayi, Chairman of the National Association of Public Affairs Analysts (NAPAA), described the PDP as “a conglomeration of powerful individuals with destructive egos,” while former lawmaker Lanre Agoro declared, “The PDP is in the hands of undertakers. There is no future for the party in 2027.”
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Fayose, George Blast Party Leadership and Judiciary

Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose accused the Damagum-led NWC of worsening divisions through “reckless and uncoordinated leadership,” while Chief Olabode George described the Abuja court judgment halting the convention as “the joke of the century.”

Both leaders called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to discipline judges whose rulings appear politically motivated.


Wike’s Camp Issues Fresh Demands

Minister of the FCT Nyesom Wike and his loyalists, including former governors Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Okezie Ikpeazu, have demanded that the zoning formula from 2021 be maintained and new congresses be held in Ebonyi, Anambra, and Ekiti States. They insist that the Calabar South-South zonal congress, which reinstated Dan Orbih as vice chairman, must stand.

Wike warned that failure to meet these conditions could lead to a full implosion. “If they ignore these demands and proceed with impunity, the party will collapse,” he warned.
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Convention on Hold as Faction Heads to Appeal Court

Acting Chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman confirmed his faction has appealed the Abuja Federal High Court ruling and formally suspended all convention activities. He stressed that the order from an Oyo High Court permitting the convention is “legally inferior” to the Federal High Court judgment.

Justice Omotosho’s ruling had earlier restrained the PDP from holding the Ibadan convention, citing violations of its constitution, INEC regulations, and internal procedures. The court advised the party to “go back and put its house in order.”


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Analysts Warn of Collapse

PDP National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) warned that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” He added:

> “Ambition is not a sin, but when ambition threatens the existence of the party, it becomes destructive. A fractured PDP cannot heal a fractured nation.”


Unless the party restores unity and discipline, political observers fear the PDP could lose its relevance before 2027, with its once-formidable structure collapsing under the weight of ambition and endless litigation.