Tension has intensified within the crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as more than 3,000 delegates prepare to storm Ibadan, Oyo State, for the party’s national elective convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2025.
Naijaonpoint reports that the convention, which should ordinarily be a unifying event, has instead become the epicentre of a fierce power struggle between two entrenched factions.
The camp led by the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, enjoys the support of key structures within the party, including:
The PDP Governors Forum,
The Board of Trustees, and
The Forum of State Chairmen.
This group maintains that the Ibadan convention will proceed as planned and is pressing ahead with preparations.
On the other side is the faction led by Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, which, though numerically smaller, is wielding significant political influence.
Wike’s group stunned the party two weeks ago by electing its own national chairman and openly daring the PDP governors.
The faction insists that the Ibadan convention is illegal and will not stand.
The internal crisis escalated after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court restrained the PDP from holding the convention and barred INEC from monitoring it, ruling that the party failed to properly notify the commission as required by its constitution.
Following the judgment, the Damagum-led NWC imposed a one-month suspension on three national officers for alleged anti-party activities:
National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu,
National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, and
National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature.
Within 24 hours, the suspended officers convened their own meeting in Abuja, announcing the suspension of Damagum and the entire NWC.
They also appointed the PDP Deputy National Vice Chairman (North Central), Abdulrahman Mohammed, as the new acting National Chairman.
Oyo Court Gives Green Light For Convention
In a fresh twist, the Damagum-led group secured an ex parte order from Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, authorising the PDP to go ahead with the convention in Ibadan.
With two opposing court rulings and two factions claiming legitimacy, the party remains deeply divided.
Speaking to Punch on Sunday, an insider at the PDP national secretariat confirmed that “more than 3,000 delegates” are expected to gather in Ibadan to elect new national officers.
He said, “More than 3,000 delegates are participating, and don’t forget that there are super delegates and elected delegates.
“Super delegates are former this and former that, and the PDP has many of them in every state of the federation.
“When you hear people whose only interest is to destroy the party saying that congresses were not conducted in some states and so those states are disenfranchised, it’s all lies because we still have many former members of this and that in those states.”
The source, who is aligned with the Damagum-led group, stated that the convention would proceed because Justice Akintola’s order is the most recent of the two conflicting court rulings.
He added, “There are two court orders from courts of concurrent jurisdiction. In law, the party is at liberty to choose which of the orders to obey, while other lawyers say the last order (or the most current) is the most valid since it’s from a concurrent court.”
He noted that Anyanwu, having been suspended by the leadership of the party, should be seen as leading a renegade group, adding, “Anybody paying attention to the group is doing so for political reasons.
“In line with the constitution of the PDP, the NWC meeting is at the instance of the National Chairman, and the National Chairman in this case is Umar Damagum.
“In view of the above, 14 out of 17 remaining members of the NWC met on November 1, 2025, and suspended Anyanwu, Bature, Ajibade, and the Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Onuoha.
“By our laws, the deputies are not NWC members except the Deputy National Secretary. So, three members out of 17 cannot form a quorum to make a decision. Moreover, those three members are even suspended, and with their suspension, they lose every right to participate in party meetings.”
He urged the media to stop referring to the Wike-backed group as a faction, noting that to form one, “It must occur during a valid national convention of the party. The members must break out at the convention ground in the same venue and date, and not what Wike and his destroyers-in-chief are doing. By law, there is no faction in the party.”
Additionally, another party official with knowledge of the matter stated that the outcome of a series of meetings held during the week would indicate the way forward for the party.
He said, “I can’t be categorical on the situation of things now, given that there are certain committees handling reconciliations amongst the contending groups, and one cannot predict the outcomes from such ongoing dialogues.
“Consequently, I believe that on or before Wednesday this week, we will all know what’s going on and the way forward from the leaders concerning the convention.”
He, however, stated that the convention would go a long way in repositioning the PDP.
“As a loyal party member and an official, the PDP surely needs the existing NWC to conduct a good national convention that will usher in a new set of NWC members to avoid further disruption of things in the party,” he added.
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