• PDP in crisis but will rise again, says Aborisade
• Group rues Wike’s alleged excesses, rallies Tinubu for caution
An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan will today hear the motion on notice filed by Folahan Malomo Adelabi against the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), its Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and others on the National Convention slated for November 15 and 16, 2025.
This was as Democracy Watch Initiative (DWI) has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently check what it described as the “excesses” of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Meanwhile, United Kingdom-based lawyer, human rights activist, and 2027 PDP governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Niyi Aborisade, said the crisis-ridden party would rise again.
While ruling on an ex parte motion, Justice Ladiran Akintola had, last week, ordered the PDP to proceed with its National Convention in Ibadan.
Akintola also adjourned till November 10, 2025, for the hearing of the motion on notice.
Folahan Malomo Adelabi, the claimant/applicant in suit number I/1336/2025, had dragged the PDP, Damagum (for himself and members of the party’s National Working Committee and National Executive Committee), the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (for himself and members of the National Convention Organising Committee), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the court.
The order sought in the suit includes an order restraining the defendants or their agents from truncating or frustrating the conduct of the party’s scheduled national convention.
However, while ruling on the ex parte motion, the court ordered the PDP leadership to adhere to the guidelines, timetable and schedule of activities earlier released for the convention.
It also ordered the party and its relevant committees to hold the elective national convention as planned in Ibadan, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The judge directed INEC to attend and observe the conduct of the convention in line with the Electoral Act.
DWI expressed concern over Wike’s “increasingly authoritarian and destabilising actions,” warning that they pose a grave threat to the nation’s democratic order.
In a statement, DWI Director of Strategic Communication, Dr Tunji Bamidele, said the organisation felt “compelled to address the alarming actions of Wike,” whom he accused of systematically undermining democratic institutions and political parties across the country.
He said: “Nyesom Wike, once a mere creek boy during the turbulent times when patriotic citizens fought valiantly for democracy, now finds himself in a position of power where he is wielding that power to undermine the very principles he once benefited from.
His actions are not merely misguided; they represent a calculated assault on the democratic fabric of our nation.
“In recent months, Wike has waged a relentless campaign against political parties, sowing discord and confusion within the ranks of organisations such as the Labor Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC). His tactics have escalated alarmingly as he now seeks to destabilise the PDP, an institution that has been central to Nigeria’s democratic journey.”
The group also called on the United States (U.S.), the United Kingdom (UK) and other members of the international community to monitor developments and hold accountable individuals “who actively undermine democracy in Nigeria.”
Speaking with The Guardian in Ibadan, on the growing internal rifts, Aborisade warned that the PDP could not continue to pretend that all was well, stressing that the situation had “fermented” beyond control.
“There is a serious problem within our party. We cannot pretend that all is well when all is not well. This is a critical stage where we cannot afford prolonged internal wranglings. We must come together to defeat our enemy. Our party has been infiltrated. The hand indeed is that of Esau but the voice is that of Jacob,” Aborisade said.
The UK-based activist expressed concern over the exodus of PDP members to the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting the defection of sitting governors, senators and members of the House of Representatives as a troubling sign.
“You can imagine how many serving governors, senators and House of Reps members have defected to APC. This is telling us something. Why should serving governors be defecting and still feel secure?” he asked.
Despite the turbulence, Aborisade expressed optimism that the PDP would eventually overcome its internal crises and reclaim its position as Nigeria’s leading political force.
