The South-West Chairman of the party, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, confirmed the arrival of the governors on Friday. Those already in Ibadan include Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, and the host governor, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
Court Orders and Internal Party Conflict
The PDP is currently mired in internal crisis, with factions loyal to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, clashing over the convention scheduled for today and tomorrow, November 16.
The latest legal obstacle came from a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, who challenged his inability to purchase the nomination form for the national chairmanship position.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday ordered the PDP to suspend the convention, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from supervising or recognising any convention not involving Lamido as an eligible contestant.
Justice Lifu ruled that the party violated its own internal processes by denying Lamido the opportunity to obtain the nomination form, stressing that political parties must provide equal access to aspirants.
The judge also cited an earlier November 11 ruling directing the party to halt preparations for the convention.
However, a conflicting order was issued by the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on November 3, permitting the PDP to proceed with the event. Justice Ladiran Akintola also directed INEC to monitor the convention for the election of new national officers.
PDP Insists Convention Will Hold
Reacting to the Abuja ruling, Ajisafe said the party was unaware of any new court order and would rely on the directive of the Ibadan High Court.
He added that preparations were 98% complete and that the presence of the governors signalled full readiness.
Correspondents at the venue confirmed that delegates from Lagos, FCT, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi and Delta had already arrived. The atmosphere was lively, with delegates dancing to traditional music, while security personnel manned the entrance with an Armoured Personnel Carrier.
INEC Signals Boycott
INEC sources told KogiTribune that the commission would not be monitoring the convention, insisting it would obey the Abuja court’s directive.
An official who asked not to be named said:
“INEC is law-abiding. We will obey the FCT High Court.”
Attempts to reach senior INEC officials for further comment were unsuccessful.
Lamido Blames Governors for Party Crisis
Commenting on the controversy, Lamido urged the PDP to respect the latest court order. Speaking on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’, he blamed party governors for the crises plaguing the PDP.
“We used to have 14 governors; now only three are left, and two are leaving soon,” he said. “The problem came from the governors who think they control the party.”
Lamido, however, praised Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, describing him as a “very nice young man.”
