Abuja Court Again Halts PDP National Convention Over Breach of Due Process and Failure to Publish Timetable

The internal crisis plaguing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened today, Tuesday, November 11, 2025, after a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a fresh order stopping the party from proceeding with its planned National Convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The restraining order, issued by Justice Peter Lifu, was in response to an application filed by Alhaji Sule Lamido, the former Governor of Jigawa State, who alleged that he was unjustly prevented from participating in the national chairmanship contest.

Justice Lifu predicated his ruling on the PDP’s failure to strictly observe due process as required by law. Specifically, the court noted that evidence showed the party did not publish the timetable for the national convention exercise, thereby acting in breach of the law.

“In a constitutional democracy, due process of law must be strictly observed by those in authority. To act otherwise is to endanger the very foundation of democracy itself,” Justice Lifu stated, adding that the court’s intervention was necessary to prevent greater harm to the applicant who felt unlawfully excluded.

INEC Barred from Recognition

Crucially, the court’s order also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from supervising, monitoring, or recognizing any outcome that may arise from the planned Ibadan convention, further cementing the legal crisis facing the opposition party.

This ruling marks the second time in two weeks that a Federal High Court has halted the PDP’s attempt to elect new national officers and stabilize its leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections. The initial halt came from Justice James Omotosho on October 31, 2025, who cited the party’s failure to hold valid state congresses and properly notify INEC.

In reaction to the previous judicial intervention, the PDP leadership, through its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, insisted that the rulings were an “assault on Nigeria’s democratic process” and vowed to appeal the judgment, setting the stage for a protracted legal battle over the party’s control and future direction.