Court has halted PDP 2025 National Convention and barred INEC from recognizing outcome.
In a major setback for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing or publishing the outcome of the party’s forthcoming 2025 National Convention.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the PDP failed to comply with key legal requirements governing the conduct of its congresses and conventions, rendering the planned event unlawful.
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The court found that congresses were not held in several states, in direct violation of the PDP Constitution and the Electoral Act. It also faulted the signing of official notices and correspondence by the PDP National Chairman without the National Secretary’s co-signature — a breach that the judge described as a “fundamental defect” making such documents null and void.
Justice Omotosho further held that the PDP did not issue the mandatory 21-day notice to INEC before convening meetings and congresses, thereby obstructing the commission’s statutory duty to monitor party activities.
“The failure of the PDP to adhere to the law has placed its planned convention in jeopardy,” the judge stated, advising the party to correct the irregularities before proceeding with the election.
Consequently, the court barred INEC from receiving, publishing, or recognizing the results of the scheduled convention in Ibadan until due process is followed.
The ruling came after three aggrieved PDP officials — Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman), and Turnah Alabh George (PDP South-South Secretary) — filed suit FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025 through their counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN. They asked the court to stop the party’s November 15–16, 2025 convention where new national officers were expected to emerge.
INEC, the PDP, and several key party leaders, including Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, were listed as defendants.
While counsel to the PDP leadership argued that the dispute was an internal party matter, Justice Omotosho disagreed, holding that compliance with constitutional and electoral provisions is a matter of public interest and not an internal affair.
This ruling effectively suspends all preparations for the PDP’s highly anticipated convention, deepening internal divisions within the main opposition party as the 2027 general elections approach.
