• Says PDP unfazed, focused on national convention
• PDP reps urge NJC to caution judges against truncating democracy

Oyo State Governor and member of the National Convention Organising Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Seyi Makinde, has declared that despite the wave of defections rocking the opposition party, the ultimate political decision rests with Nigerians.  He said the PDP was unfazed by the defections but remained focused on rebuilding and repositioning itself ahead of the 2027 general elections.
 
Meanwhile, members of the party’s caucus in the House of Representatives have urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to caution judges against being used by desperate politicians to derail the country’s democratic process.
 
Speaking at a briefing, yesterday, in Abuja after the inauguration of the Transportation Sub-Committee of the PDP National Convention Organising Committee, Makinde dismissed fears over internal divisions within the party.   He underscored the PDP’s commitment to a credible and seamless convention in Ibadan, one he vowed to be the best in the party’s history.
 
“The train has moved. Whoever is trying to stop a moving train is probably also trying to commit suicide,” Makinde said, urging aggrieved stakeholders to work within the party framework instead of stalling progress.
 
Addressing questions on the alleged defection of some PDP governors, including that of Enugu State, who reportedly sits on the convention committee, Makinde downplayed the concerns, insisting that the party was not distracted, adding: “The only time we will be concerned is when hunger defects from the ordinary people on the street and joins APC. Until then, the people remain the ultimate deciders.”
 
Makinde, who is also the Deputy Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), was asked about the recurring issue of political defections, particularly in light of the ongoing constitution amendment process. He acknowledged that while the problem remains a concern, it is not unique to Nigeria.

On the performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, particularly on the economy, Makinde refrained from direct criticism. Instead, he said: “Nigerians are not blind. They know what they are going through. We won’t waste time on propaganda. Instead, we’ll show Nigerians what we stand for and what we intend to do, in black and white.”

IN a statement, yesterday, signed by the Leader of the PDP Caucus, Fred Agbedi, the lawmakers expressed deep concern over what they described as a growing trend of judicial interference in the internal affairs of political parties; a development, they warned, “poses a grave threat” to the nation’s democratic stability.
 
The statement followed a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which declined to grant an interim injunction to stop the PDP from holding its scheduled meetings and national convention. However, the court made pronouncements that appeared to negate the benefits of refusing the injunction.
 
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by some individuals opposed to the planned PDP national convention.  The plaintiffs – Austine Nwachukwu, Chairman of the Imo State PDP; Amah Abraham Nnanna, Abia State Chairman; and Turnah George, the South-South Secretary of the party – had asked the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop the PDP from holding any meeting, congress or convention pending the determination of the substantive suit.
 
Although the presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, declined to grant the ex parte order, he went on to declare that any step taken by the party during the pendency of the suit would be null and void – a pronouncement the lawmakers described as “judicial overreach” that could embolden anti-democratic elements.
  
“We are deeply concerned that despite repeated Supreme Court pronouncements against judicial interference in the internal affairs of political parties, some judges continue to make themselves available as instruments in the hands of desperate politicians seeking to subvert democracy and impose a one-party system on Africa’s largest democracy,” the statement reads.
 
The lawmakers warned that such pronouncements could be interpreted as providing legal cover for those seeking to halt the PDP’s democratic processes, thereby preventing the main opposition party from presenting candidates in the 2027 general elections.