• Crisis self-inflicted, not caused by outsiders, says Ukweni
• Ogungbayi: PDP a conglomeration of powerful individuals with destructive egos
• ‘Why judiciary should sheathe sword, embrace collective interest’

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) slow-motion disintegration has reached critical mass, with stakeholders warning that personal ambition, compromised judicial interventions, strategic defections by sitting governors, and Nyesom Wike’s determination to “pull down the house” have made the party’s planned Ibadan convention impossible and its 2027 prospects near non-existent.

The PDP yesterday returned to a familiar crossroads following controversial court rulings that placed its much-anticipated national convention, scheduled to be held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on what observers described as “a dangerous path”.

Justice Lifu restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring, supervising, or recognising the convention, also referred to as ‘Ibadan 2025’. Justice Omotosho, on his part, directed the party’s leadership to postpone the exercise pending the determination of substantive issues in a suit filed by the embattled Mohammed Abdulrahman-led faction.

Justice Lifu gave the suspension order while ruling on an application by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, who argued that allowing the convention to proceed would deny him the opportunity to contest for the position of national chairman. The judge also referenced Justice Omotosho’s earlier judgment of October 31, which restrained the PDP from holding the convention, and held that granting Lamido’s application was in the interest of justice.

The development came barely a week after key members of the convention planning committee resigned, including Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State. Mbah, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), had served as Secretary of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC), leaving the party struggling to fill leadership gaps.

In a swift move, the party appointed Senator Ben Obi as the new convention secretary to replace Mbah, in a bid to calm tensions and reassure aggrieved stakeholders.

However, the situation worsened when Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, who chaired the PDP zoning committee, also defected to the APC, further unsettling the already fragile opposition.

The crisis deepened as parallel leaderships emerged, with ongoing suspensions, counter-suspensions, and duplicated structures plunging the party into greater confusion. INEC has since recognised Umar Ilya Damagum as the authentic national chairman.

Before INEC’s declaration, the PDP was operating under two rival National Working Committees (NWCs), one led by Damagum and another by Abdulrahman, alongside parallel Boards of Trustees (BoTs).

While the Damagum-led NWC insists on proceeding with the Ibadan convention despite a subsisting court order, the Abdulrahman faction has suspended all preparations pending the outcome of an appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

With multiple court orders, parallel executives, and continuing defections, prospects for a credible and unifying convention appear dim. Stakeholders and political observers have warned that unless the party restores internal discipline and respect for due process, the Ibadan convention, even if it eventually holds, may become yet another flashpoint in the PDP’s long struggle for survival.

Crisis self-inflicted, not caused by outsiders, says Ukweni
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mba Ekpezu Ukweni, has said the crisis currently facing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is largely self-inflicted rather than the result of external political interference. He explained that the internal disagreements following the party’s 2022 presidential primaries created openings that rival parties quickly exploited.

Ukweni said the problem worsened when former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, failed to secure the party’s presidential ticket and later the vice-presidential slot. According to him, the decision by Wike and his allies to “pull down the house” weakened the PDP nationwide and damaged the political standing of the G-5 governors who supported him at the time.

He noted that in several states, including Cross River, the PDP lost elections it could have won had the party remained united. Ukweni said many stakeholders preferred to align with perceived financial power, believing that campaign funding alone could determine electoral success, but later “failed woefully.”

The senior lawyer recalled appealing to party leaders to maintain unity, but said internal rivalry and personal ambition took precedence. He explained that the crisis resulted in parallel structures within the party, with some key officers aligning with Wike while others remained loyal to the national leadership.

Ukweni also expressed concern over what he described as “conflicting and counterproductive judicial orders” affecting the party’s internal management. He said the judiciary was increasingly issuing rulings in a manner that appeared influenced by political pressure, further deepening divisions within the PDP.

He warned that the continued weakening of the PDP poses broader risks to Nigeria’s political stability, noting that the absence of a strong opposition could embolden authoritarian tendencies. However, he argued that Nigeria is unlikely to become a one-party state because political awareness among citizens has grown significantly.

Ukweni cited Peter Obi’s performance in the 2023 elections, particularly in major urban centres, as evidence that voters can organise around ideas and personalities rather than party structures alone. He said this shift means political actors can no longer suppress opposition or public dissent simply by weakening party institutions.

He urged leaders within the PDP and across the political spectrum to prioritise accountability and democratic values, warning that continued disregard for unity and fairness will further erode public trust in both political parties and the judiciary.

PDP must find common ground to end embarrassment’
Reacting to the developments surrounding the PDP’s survival, Enugu-based lawyer John Nwobodo said the party should be concerned about recent court pronouncements, warning that they could hinder its efforts at recovery.

Nwobodo, however, added that it would be wrong to assume that the rulings were fuelling the crisis, explaining that the courts were merely performing their constitutional duty of adjudication. He said: “The court is there as the arbiter, and of course, parties present disputes to the court to enable it to arrive at a position based on the law. You might be concerned that there are conflicting orders emanating from the courts. Every court adjudicates based on the facts presented before it.

“Although the earlier judgment by the Federal High Court, Abuja, seems more definitive, being a decision reached on merit, unlike the one granted by the court in Ibadan, it was an interim order meant to last for a few days. The Abuja court has yet to determine the substantive case. It has yet to hear the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction. So, if you ask me, I would say that the Federal High Court decision was arrived at after the parties had canvassed their cases.”

He said the PDP should evaluate the entire situation and address the gaps identified by the courts, adding that the various pronouncements implied that the party would likely continue to postpone its planned national convention and other efforts to resolve its internal challenges.

In his contribution, another lawyer, Justice Enwerem, cautioned the courts to be wary of politicians attempting to use judicial processes to derail the country’s democracy.

“What is happening in the PDP,” he said, “should not be seen as being aided by the courts. Although I believe in the power of adjudication and that the court does not act in a vacuum, this matter is not one that should be allowed to drag on for too long.

“We are aware of the various contentions, especially since the party has been in court for some time now. The best approach is to resolve these issues quickly so that the party can move forward.

“It will be unfortunate if people begin to see the court as being manipulated to deepen the crisis in the party. A situation where varying pronouncements are made on the same issue sends the signal that individual courts favour whoever they wish.

“But I also think that the PDP should find common ground to end this embarrassment. They should set aside their grievances and move the party forward.”

The Chairman of the National Association of Public Affairs Analysts (NAPAA), Pastor Olusegun Ogungbayi, described the PDP as “a conglomeration of powerful individuals with destructive egos,” adding that “you cannot expect good fruits from the party.” He regretted that judicial involvement had worsened the crisis instead of resolving it, stressing that the judiciary was under excessive political influence.

“The judiciary should get its acts right and sheath its sword. They should jettison personal interest and embrace collective interest,” he cautioned.

Similarly, a former member of the House of Representatives, lawyer, journalist, former lecturer and economist, Lanre Agoro, said the PDP was “in the hands of undertakers,” lamenting that the pallbearers are on both sides.

He said, “There is no future for the party in 2027. I don’t see them resolving the problem before then. Those who are supposed to resolve it are not helping matters. The intervention of the judiciary is aggravating the situation. They ought to have expelled those behind the crisis.”

To public affairs analyst Richard Bright, “the incessant court cases are worsening the situation. Those behind the crises should put their house in order.”

Chieftains Fayose, George blast Damagum’s NWC, judiciary over party’s crisis
Former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, described the Damagum-led National Working Committee’s (NWC) handling of the crisis as “reckless and uncoordinated,” accusing it of deepening division rather than pursuing reconciliation.

“Rather than bringing all stakeholders together, they chose to announce the suspension of key NWC members, including the National Secretary, who is the only officer constitutionally empowered to issue meeting notices,” Fayose said.

On the Oyo High Court’s order, Fayose dismissed it as a product of “political desperation,” describing the presiding judge as a “hand-to-mouth jurist” and urging the National Judicial Council (NJC) to sanction Justice A.L. Akintola for judicial misconduct.

A former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, condemned the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, describing it as “the joke of the century and an open recipe for anarchy.”

In a strongly worded statement, George urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to call Justice Omotosho to order, insisting that the PDP had complied with all constitutional and electoral provisions in preparation for the Ibadan convention.

Wike warns of implosion as loyalists demand fresh congresses
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, remains a central figure in the unfolding saga. Earlier in September, Wike’s loyalists, under the banner of Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders, met in Abuja and issued a fresh set of conditions for the conduct of the national convention.

The group, which included former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ayo Fayose, demanded that the zoning formula adopted at the 2021 convention be maintained, with the chairmanship retained in the North-Central.

They also called for immediate fresh congresses in Ebonyi, Anambra, and Ekiti States, as well as the recognition of the Calabar South-South zonal congress outcome, which reinstated Chief Dan Orbih as National Vice Chairman.

Wike had warned in August that the party risked implosion if it ignored these demands. “The South-South zonal congress that was held in Calabar must be upheld. Dan Orbih remains the National Vice Chairman. If they don’t agree, that’s an error on their part,” he had declared, adding that any attempt to proceed with the convention without resolving internal grievances “will amount to impunity.”

Amid the widening gulf and disarray, the PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), cautioned that the party risks losing the 2027 general elections if its leaders fail to unite.

Ajibade reminded stakeholders that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”
“Ambition is not a sin,” he said, “but when ambition threatens the core values and existence of the party, it becomes destructive. A fractured PDP cannot heal a fractured nation.”

He urged members to embrace reconciliation and rebuild trust, warning that the party’s once formidable national presence could shrink into political irrelevance if its internal conflicts persist.

Convention on pause as gavel meets grievance
In a move to secure further restraint against the proposed Ibadan convention, the new acting chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, disclosed that his faction had filed an appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which stopped the convention, and had therefore resolved to suspend all related activities.

“The national leadership of the PDP, under me as Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, in collaboration with our National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, hereby formally informs the Nigerian public that we have received the Certified True Copy of the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered by Honourable Justice James Omotosho in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025.

“In line with due process and our commitment to fairness, we have filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal to seek judicial clarification and interpretation in the overall interest of our party and Nigerian democracy.

“Consequently, we hereby suspend and cancel the proposed Ibadan National Convention pending the decision of the Court of Appeal,” Abdulrahman remarked.

He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was a party to the suit, had been formally notified of the suspension, describing the ex parte order recently issued by an Oyo State High Court permitting the convention as “legally inferior” to the subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court.

The immediate trigger for the latest crisis was the October 31 judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which stopped the PDP from holding the Ibadan convention.

Justice Omotosho, ruling in favour of three aggrieved PDP chieftains from Imo, Abia, and the South-South zone, held that the party had failed to comply with the 1999 Constitution, INEC regulations, and its internal guidelines. The court also restrained INEC from recognising any outcome from such a convention and directed the PDP “to go back and put its house in order.”