PDP Vows to Hold Ibadan Convention Despite Court Ruling and Factional Rift

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed that its national convention, scheduled for November 15–16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State, will go ahead as planned, despite conflicting court rulings and internal party disputes.

In a statement on Wednesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba dismissed reports of a postponement as “false, misleading, and the handiwork of political detractors.” He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to destabilize the main opposition party to pave the way for a one-party state, adding that such efforts “will be lawfully resisted.”

Ologunagba emphasized that the National Convention Organising Committee is working to ensure a smooth exercise, noting that delegates and stakeholders have already begun arriving in Ibadan.

However, a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had earlier announced the suspension of the convention, citing a judgment by Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which restrained the PDP from proceeding pending the resolution of a leadership dispute. Acting National Chairman Alhaji Abdulrahman Muhammed and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu said the party had filed an appeal and suspended the exercise “in obedience to the rule of law.”

The conflicting positions stem from two parallel court rulings: the Abuja Federal High Court restraining the convention, and an Oyo State High Court granting an ex parte order permitting it to proceed. The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) have cited the Oyo order as justification for continuing preparations, while Senator Anyanwu argued that the Abuja ruling takes precedence, given its jurisdiction over national matters.

Anyanwu also dismissed claims that he was absent from a BoT meeting supporting the convention, saying it was “a gathering of friends and associates, not an official BoT meeting.” He revealed that the national secretariat in Abuja was temporarily closed earlier in the week following a reported attempt by suspected thugs to attack the premises, which police intervened to prevent.

Despite the legal and internal crisis, both factions insist the PDP remains committed to democracy, the rule of law, and peace. The Ibadan convention, expected to elect new national officers and reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections, has emerged as a litmus test for the opposition’s cohesion amid growing dissent and uncertainty.