A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the results of the People’s Democratic Party’s forthcoming 2025 National Convention.
The court’s ruling followed a suit filed by three aggrieved members of the party seeking to stop the proposed convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The plaintiffs accused the party’s leadership of breaching its constitution and due process in the preparations for the convention.
Delivering the judgment on Friday, Justice James Omotosho said the PDP failed to meet the legal and procedural requirements for organizing the convention.
The judge held that evidence from the electoral umpire and some of the respondents showed that congresses were not held in certain states of the federation, in violation of the law.
In addition, the court ruled that the signing of notices and correspondences of the PDP by its National Chairman without the National Secretary contravened the law and consequently rendered such notices and correspondences null and void.
Justice Omotosho further held that the PDP failed to issue the mandatory 21-day notice of meetings and congresses required to enable INEC to carry out its statutory duty of monitoring such activities.
Speaking after the judgment, one of the plaintiffs’ lawyers said the ruling “reaffirms the principle that no political party is above the law and that internal party democracy must be respected.”
The court’s decision now places the PDP in a tight corner, as the party must resolve its internal disputes and meet all legal conditions before proceeding with any convention to fill key national leadership positions.
