Less than one year to 2027 general election, there appears to be no end in sight to the crisis bugging the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, has affirmed the validity of the 2025 Elective Convention of the party which produced Dr. Kabiru Turaki as the substantive national chairman.

Delivering judgment in Suit No. I/1336/2025 on Friday, the court upheld the amended originating summons filed by Musibau Adetunmbi (SAN) on behalf of the claimant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi, who was a candidate at the convention.

Justice Akintola granted all 13 reliefs sought, ruling that the convention complied with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and other relevant electoral laws.

The court further dismissed the motions seeking a stay of proceedings and suspension of the ruling, filed by Sunday Ibrahim (SAN) on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two others, who described themselves as interested parties belonging to a faction within the party opposed to the convention.

The judge had earlier rejected their application for joinder, describing it as lacking merit.

Among the issues formulated for determination before the Court was whether, having regard to the express provisions of Articles 33(7), 47(1) and (2) of the party’s Constitution (as amended in 2017) and Section 223(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the 1st to 3rd Defendants were entitled, in any manner whatsoever, to truncate, frustrate, disrupt, prevent or stop the scheduled elective National Convention fixed for 15 and 16 November 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State, for the purpose of electing national officers of the party.

The court also considered whether it was not evident that the 1st Defendant – PDP – had complied with all necessary requirements, including the issuance of the requisite statutory notice, for the conduct of the national convention.

In granting the reliefs, the court declared that by virtue of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the defendants were under an obligation to ensure that the claimant’s right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association was not infringed.

It further declared that any failure to conduct and hold the national convention would amount to an infringement of that constitutional right.

The court held that pursuant to Sections 223(1) (a) and 223(2) (a) of the 1999 Constitution, Section 82(1) and (2) (a) of the Electoral Act 2022, and the notice issued to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on August 29, 2025, all necessary modalities and conditions for the holding of the elective national convention had been duly satisfied, irrespective of whether INEC monitored the exercise or not.