The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party is far from over as the faction loyal to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, insisted that the national convention of the party slated for Ibadan, the Oyo State capital between November 15 and 16, will not hold.
Despite the position of the party’s Board of Trustees earlier on Wednesday, urging the National Working Committee to go ahead with the convention, the group led by the factional Acting National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, said the event would not hold.
The national secretariat of the party remained sealed as the two factions resorted to the use of other facilities to run their respective groups.
Earlier on Wednesday, the BoT of the PDP, aware of the status of the secretariat, met at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja.
It was an event attended by the National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum alongside the BoT chairman, Adolphus Wabara, ex-Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi, and other party chieftains.
Similarly, Abdulrahman and his group met at the Wuye private office of embattled party secretary Samuel Anyanwu to brief the media about their activities since his emergence earlier in the week.
Abdulrahman said his group had gotten the Certified True Copy of Justice James Omotosho’s ruling, which last week put the convention on hold.
He said, “The national leadership of the PDP, under my humble self, in collaboration with our National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, hereby formally inform the Nigerian public that we have received the Certified True Copy of the recent judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered by Honourable Justice Omotosho in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025.
“We are pleased to confirm that our esteemed National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, has provided a thorough legal opinion on the implications of the judgment.
“In strict adherence to due process and our commitment to fairness, we have filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal to seek further judicial clarification and interpretation in the overall interest of our party, our members and Nigerian democracy.
“Consequently, having filed an appeal and in line with our responsibility to uphold the rule of law in the PDP, we hereby suspend and cancel the proposed Ibadan national convention pending the decision of the Court of Appeal. Any continuation with the proposed convention at this time would amount to a violation of the rule of law and shall not be condoned.”
He noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission, a party to the suit, “is fully aware of the judgment of the Federal High court.”
“We have deemed it necessary and responsible to formally communicate our position to the commission. Accordingly, we have notified INEC to suspend the national convention in strict compliance with the directive contained in the judgement,” he added.
He further argued that the ex parte order granted by Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, cannot override the earlier ruling of Justice Omotosho.
“We are also aware of an ex parte order recently issued by a High Court in Oyo State. While we await the Certrfied True Copy of the said order, we reiterate that an ex parte order cannot override a subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court.
“We shall continue to act only in accordance with valid judicial authority and the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“As a responsible, law-abiding, and democratic institution, the PDP remains unwavering in its commitment to the rule of law, constitutional governance, and internal party democracy.
“Our actions will continue to be guided by legal advice, by respect for our members, and by our duty to protect the integnty of our party,” he added.
He assured Nigerians of the oneness of the PDP as one indivisible family despite its current travails.
‘Convention must hold’
However, the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party said it was focused on mobilising party members ahead of its national convention in Ibadan and will not be distracted by “charlatans and political comedians.”
The Oyo PDP is loyal to the state governor, Seyi Makinde, who fell apart with Wike following the lingering crisis in the party.
Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Micheal Ogunsina, speaking with The PUNCH on Wednesday, dismissed those he described as suspended party members masquerading as an alternative faction.
Ogunsina said the PDP remained united under the leadership of Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum.
He said, “We must stop listening to charlatans and political comedians. PDP is one, and the National Chairman is Umar Damagum. We should not give life to suspended national working committee members. Their words hold no water, and they are wasting their time.”
He said the NWC, BoT and other organs of the party were working towards the success of the convention in Ibadan next week.
“It is also critical to note that there is no division within our rank,” he added. “The NWC, BOT and all other organs of the party are working very hard to ensure that the national convention holds.”
He expressed confidence that INEC would comply with Monday’s Oyo High Court order by Justice Akintola that the PDP and Damagum should proceed with the Ibadan convention.
He also admonished all aggrieved members of the party to be “humble with their excesses.”
“Those who are aggrieved in the party must understand that if the party leadership under Damagum and Wabara will be magnanimous in handling their misdemeanours, they must be humble with their excesses,” he stressed.
PDP secretariat sealed
Meanwhile, Anyanwu has given reasons why the gate to the national secretariat of the party remained locked.
On Monday, Abdulrahman, accompanied by Anyanwu and a team of policemen, took over the Wadata Plaza, where Abdulrahman attributed his emergence to the workings of God and promised to reposition the party.
The secretariat has remained sealed since Monday with Anyanwu insisting it’s a move to protect workers in Wadata Plaza.
“When I arrived at the office to do my normal job (Monday), I was almost attacked by hoodlums.
“Under the directives and instructions of Umar Damagu, the former PDP chairman, I heard them clearly asking the boys to attack. If not for the intervention of the police, most of the staff (members) would have been murdered,” Anyanwu said.
“And for that reason, as the custodian of the office, as the secretary, I asked everybody to stay away. Let us find a lasting solution to make the place safer for our people to do their jobs.”
Like Abdulrahman, Anyanwu said the Ibadan convention would not hold.
He stated, “The judgment of the Federal High Court supersedes the ex parte order by the Oyo court.
“Both the Federal High Court in Abuja and the State High Court in Oyo are equal. But as a matter of fact, the Federal High Court in Abuja has more powers.
“The State High Court order is just an ex parte order, which lasts only seven days. Before that ex parte order, the party had already filed an appeal at an Appeal court. When a new motion is filed in a new court, that means everything will stay, pending the outcome of the appeal. So, we shall wait for the appeal.”
Anyanwu further described the BoT meeting, which held at the Bauchi State Governor’s lodge earlier on Wednesday, as a one-sided affair.
“It was a meeting of friends and associates compared to a Board of Trustees meeting,” he stressed.
On the deployment of police personnel to Wadata on Monday, Anyanwu said he petitioned the police having gotten wind of plans to attack him and his associates.
“You recall what happened on November 1 (Abdulrahman’s takeover of party’s secretariat) because of what happened on October 31 when the former chairman, Umar Damagu, took some members of the NWC to the Legacy House to pronounce the suspension of the National Secretary, the National Legal Adviser, the National Organising Secretary and the Deputy National Legal Advisor.
“They did not come to Wadata to do that, because we had the information that they intended to attack the secretariat. On November 1, I wrote a letter to the Inspector General of Police, the Director of DSS, informing them of the information we got, that they wanted to attack PDP. Based on that, they deployed security personnel,” he said.
With both sides taking opposition stands, the fate of the convention remains largely uncertain.
