The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has lodged a case at the Federal High Court in Abuja aiming to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the national convention that took place in Ibadan, Oyo State, on 15 and 16 November.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, the party alongside Mohammed Abdulrahman, acting national chairman, and Samuel Anyanwu, national secretary asks the court to declare the convention and all decisions reached at the event “null, void, and of no effect”.
The plaintiffs belong to the faction aligned with Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
At the Ibadan convention, Anyanwu, Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, and eight other party leaders were expelled from the PDP.
The plaintiffs are also asking the court to issue an order preventing INEC and security agencies from recognising the 6th to 25th defendants including Umar Damagum, Kabiru Turaki, the newly elected national chairman, and other prominent members as legitimate officials of the PDP.
In their originating summons, the plaintiffs contended that the Ibadan convention was held in blatant disregard of three existing Federal High Court judgments.
They cited the judgment delivered on 31 October in FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025: Austine Nwachukwu v INEC & Ors; the interim order of 11 November and judgment of 14 November in FHC/ABJ/CS/2299/2025: Sule Lamido v PDP & Ors; as well as the judgment delivered on 31 May 2023 in FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023: Nyesom Wike v PDP & Ors.
According to the plaintiffs, the decisions nullified the 21-day notice issued for the convention and expressly restrained the party from holding the exercise.
They allege that despite these rulings, the 5th to 25th defendants “organised themselves and their cohorts” and convened a gathering in Ibadan where they purportedly elected national officers and announced the suspension or expulsion of several prominent members.
In an affidavit deposed to by Anyanwu, the national secretary claimed that the group attempted on 18 November to “forcibly take control” of the party’s national secretariat at Wadata Plaza and Legacy House in Abuja but failed.
He added that instead of enforcing the court orders, the police and Department of State Services (DSS) “sealed up” the secretariat and denied the legitimate party officers access.
“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 reads.
The plaintiffs want the court to declare that INEC, the Inspector-General of Police, the FCT Commissioner of Police, and the DSS are constitutionally obligated to enforce the earlier judgments.
They are also seeking an order restraining all defendants from recognising or giving effect to the Ibadan convention or any decisions made there
“An order stopping the 6th to 25th defendants from parading themselves as PDP officials, a directive compelling security agencies to provide protection for the plaintiffs and grant them access to Wadata Plaza and Legacy House.
“An order restraining INEC from accepting any change of address for the PDP other than its two official Abuja locations.
“A determination of whether any authority can legitimately recognise the Ibadan convention in light of existing judgments, the constitution, the Electoral Act, and the PDP constitution.”
The suit has not yet been assigned to a judge, and no hearing date has been scheduled.