By Atoyebi Nike
The Federal High Court in Abuja has again halted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its 2025 National Convention scheduled for November 15-16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from supervising, monitoring, or recognizing any outcome from the planned convention where new national officers were expected to be elected.
The order followed an application filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, who alleged that he was unlawfully denied the opportunity to purchase the chairmanship nomination form, preventing him from contesting at the convention.
Justice Lifu held that the PDP failed to comply with mandatory legal requirements for organizing a national convention, including publishing the timetable for members’ notice. He added that the “balance of convenience” favoured Lamido, who would suffer greater harm if excluded from the process.
The judge noted that Lamido had undertaken to pay damages to the PDP if his suit was found to be frivolous, stressing that due process must be strictly followed to safeguard democracy.
Justice Lifu therefore restrained the PDP from proceeding with the convention on the scheduled dates or on any other date or location until the party complies with the law.
The ruling comes barely weeks after another Federal High Court judge, Justice James Omotosho, issued a similar order on October 31. Omotosho barred INEC from supervising the convention on the grounds that PDP failed to issue the mandatory 21-day notice for meetings and congresses.
He held that the party’s failure to comply with statutory timelines placed the entire convention process in jeopardy and must be corrected before any election can proceed.
