The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Friday as the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) formally disowned a report issued by its own Reconciliation Committee, insisting that the national convention scheduled for November 15–16, 2025 will proceed as planned in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The BoT’s position directly contradicts recommendations by the Ambassador Hassan Adamu–led Reconciliation Committee, which had advised the party to suspend the convention and install an all-inclusive caretaker committee pending resolution of legal and administrative disputes.
Committee Recommended Caretaker Leadership Over Legal Risks
The committee was inaugurated on November 5 following directives from the BoT. In its presentation on Thursday in Abuja, it warned that multiple court orders, unresolved congresses, and factional disputes could make the convention legally untenable.
Particularly, the committee noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was unlikely to monitor the convention due to existing judicial orders, making any leadership produced vulnerable to disqualification in future elections.
It recommended:
Setting up an all-inclusive Caretaker Committee
Lifting all suspension orders
Undertaking full-scale reconciliation
Proceeding with the convention only after establishing a favourable legal position
However, BoT Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara issued a strongly worded statement on Friday, rejecting the committee’s conclusions.
“The report has not been adopted by the BoT and does not represent the official position of the Board. The BoT remains committed to holding the elective national convention as scheduled.”
The BoT anchored its position on the Supreme Court’s long-held doctrine affirming the supremacy of political parties to manage their internal affairs without judicial interference, except in exceptional circumstances.
Conflicting Factions and Court Orders
The PDP has been split between two factions:
Umar Damagum’s group, which insists the convention must hold
Abdulrahman Muhammed’s faction, which cancelled the convention after a Federal High Court order halted the exercise
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had earlier restrained the PDP from proceeding with the Ibadan convention. Despite this, the Oyo State High Court issued a parallel interim order preventing interference with convention preparations, effectively enabling the PDP to continue its arrangements.
Jurisdictional Battle Before Oyo High Court
At the Oyo State High Court on Friday, legal arguments shifted to whether the court has jurisdiction to hear a suit filed by PDP member Folahan Adelabi challenging attempts to disrupt the convention.
Counsel for INEC argued that being a federal agency, INEC can only be sued at the Federal High Court under Section 251 of the Constitution.
But claimant’s counsel, Musibau Adetumbi, SAN, countered that the suit touches on the claimant’s fundamental rights, including freedom of association and participation in a political convention, and therefore falls within the jurisdiction of the state high court.
Justice Ladiran Akintola adjourned ruling to December 8, 2025, while maintaining that the interim order protecting the convention remains valid.
Legal Significance
The situation has created a rare case of jurisdictional overlap, with the party navigating conflicting judicial directives from courts of coordinate jurisdiction. The outcome may shape future jurisprudence on:
Internal party democracy
Court oversight over political convention
Despite the chaos, the PDP leadership insists that the Ibadan convention will proceed, setting the stage for what may become a landmark legal confrontation in Nigeria’s political jurisprudence.
