By Charles Pemu 
The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has intensified, with the faction loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, issuing a strong declaration that the party’s National Convention scheduled for November 15-16 in Ibadan will not hold.
This stance directly contradicts the position of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), which had urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to proceed with the convention. The national secretariat of the party remains sealed, forcing the opposing factions to operate from separate private facilities.
Wike Faction Cites Court Judgment, Files Appeal
The faction led by the Acting National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, held a briefing at the Wuye private office of the embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu. Abdulrahman announced that his group had obtained the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court ruling delivered by Justice James Omotosho (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025), which last week placed a hold on the convention.
The court ruling explicitly restrained INEC from recognizing the outcome of the planned convention, citing the party’s failure to meet legal requirements and hold valid state congresses.
Abdulrahman stated, “In strict adherence to due process… we have filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal to seek further judicial clarification… 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.”
He further argued that an ex parte order recently issued by Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, which reportedly allowed the convention to proceed, cannot override the subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court. The group has also formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend the convention.
Mainstream PDP Insists Convention Must Hold
In direct opposition, the mainstream faction of the PDP, led by Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum and backed by the BoT and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, remains determined to hold the convention.
The Oyo State chapter of the PDP, speaking through its Publicity Secretary, Michael Ogunsina, dismissed the rival group as “charlatans and political comedians.” Ogunsina insisted that the party remains united under Damagum’s leadership and that the NWC, BoT, and all party organs are working hard to ensure the convention’s success. He expressed confidence that INEC would comply with the Oyo High Court order allowing the convention to proceed.
Meanwhile, the BoT, aware of the sealed national secretariat, held its meeting at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, affirming its decision to move forward.
Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who appeared alongside the Wike faction, gave his reason for the continued sealing of the Wadata Plaza national secretariat. He claimed that the action was a safety measure, insisting he was almost attacked by hoodlums allegedly acting under the instruction of the former PDP Chairman, Umar Damagum.
Anyanwu reiterated the Wike faction’s position that the Ibadan convention would not hold, citing the superior legal authority of the Federal High Court ruling over the Oyo State High Court ex parte order.
With two opposing court rulings and both factions entrenched in their positions, the fate of the PDP’s National Convention remains uncertain, plunging the main opposition party deeper into crisis.