The Federal High Court in Abuja has once again restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its planned National Convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The convention, designed to elect new national officers to steer the affairs of the opposition party, has been the subject of multiple legal challenges in recent weeks.
In a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu granted an interim injunction following an ex-parte application filed by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido.
Through his counsel, Jephthah Njikonye, SAN, Lamido asked the court to halt the exercise pending the determination of a substantive suit challenging the process leading to the convention.
Justice Lifu, in his decision, held that the application had merit and warranted judicial intervention.
He consequently barred the PDP from proceeding with the convention and also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring or recognising any activities connected to it until the main suit was resolved.
The judge said Lamido, a bona fide member of the PDP with an interest in the position of national chairman, would suffer “greater hardship” if the injunction were not granted.
He added that there was no basis to deviate from a similar ruling by Justice James Omotosho on October 31, which had earlier halted the same convention.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a Motion on Notice filed by Folahan Malomo Adelabi against the PDP, its acting national chairman, and other respondents.
The case, which has deepened internal divisions within the party, was postponed to allow all parties more time to file and exchange court processes.
Justice Akintola stressed the need for proper documentation to ensure a fair and orderly hearing, saying all pending applications would be considered together.
The adjournment followed last week’s ruling by the same court granting an ex-parte order that permitted the PDP to continue preparations for its planned convention pending further hearing.
Elsewhere, PDP leaders in Ekiti State have warned against alleged clandestine efforts by “enemies of the party” to overturn the result of the governorship primary won by Dr Wole Oluyede.
Similarly, the Oyo State chapter of the PDP has petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), accusing Justice AL Akintola of “judicial recklessness, impunity, and gross misconduct” over his handling of the party’s internal cases.
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