The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened on Tuesday after a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, secured a fresh interim court order stopping the party’s planned national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the ex parte motion filed by Lamido, thereby reinforcing an earlier judgment delivered on October 31, 2025, by Justice James Omotosho, which had also halted the convention.
The new ruling came amid conflicting directives from an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, which ordered that the convention should proceed as scheduled and be monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Lifu, in his ruling, restrained the PDP and INEC from holding or recognising the outcome of the 2025 convention pending the determination of the substantive suit. He adjourned further hearing till November 13.
Lamido alleged that the party unlawfully denied him the opportunity to purchase the chairmanship nomination form, effectively excluding him from the race.
According to the judge, Lamido, as a bona fide member with interest in contesting for the national chairmanship, would suffer irreparable harm if the injunction was not granted. He ruled that the PDP failed to comply with statutory requirements governing the conduct of such conventions, including the publication of the timetable for members’ awareness.
Justice Lifu said he found no reason to deviate from the earlier decision of Justice Omotosho, who had restrained INEC from monitoring the PDP convention over similar breaches, including failure to give the mandatory 21-day notice required by law.
He emphasised that due process is essential in a constitutional democracy, warning that the courts must not abdicate their responsibility to uphold justice, as failure to do so could lead to anarchy.
In his final pronouncement, Justice Lifu ordered the PDP not to proceed with the convention in Ibadan or elsewhere and restrained INEC from supervising or recognising any such event until the case is resolved.
Fayose: PDP is in Coma
Reacting to the development, a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, said the crisis within the PDP had reached a terminal point, describing the party as “comatose.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Fayose condemned the Oyo State High Court’s ruling as “judicial overreach,” questioning how a state high court could countermand a decision of the Federal High Court.
“The PDP is in trouble. The situation has gone bad, and the party is in a state of coma,” Fayose said. “When has a state high court become an appellate court for a federal high court? The Oyo court has no jurisdiction.”
He accused the judge of compromising the process, warning that such rulings could set a dangerous precedent for the country’s electoral system.
“If this continues, INEC will start collecting judgments from state courts. The judge compromised the matter and granted an ex parte order,” he alleged.
Fayose attributed the crisis to poor leadership at the top of the party, saying, “When a fish decays from the head, there’s nothing left to salvage. The PDP has decayed from the head.”
Sokoto PDP Sets Up Convention Committee
Despite the legal uncertainty, the Sokoto State chapter of the PDP on Tuesday inaugurated a committee to coordinate the state’s participation in the planned convention.
Presiding over the inauguration, State Chairman Muhammadu Goronyo urged members to uphold the values of unity, discipline, and loyalty.
According to the statement by State Publicity Secretary Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal, the committee is chaired by State Organising Secretary Alhaji Abubakar Chika Shuni, with Assistant State Secretary Alhaji Mustapha Lanas Gidadawa as Secretary. Other members include Minority Leader of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Magaji, and several key party figures.
Sanyinnawal said the committee’s mandate was to ensure smooth coordination of Sokoto delegates at the convention, describing the move as “a reflection of the PDP’s commitment to internal democracy and credible leadership selection.”
He called on all party members to support the committee’s work to ensure “a hitch-free and successful outing that will strengthen the PDP ahead of future elections.”
Ex-PDP Chair Joins APC
Meanwhile, in Adamawa State, a former governorship candidate of the Labour Party and pioneer PDP chairman in the state, Joe Madaki, announced his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking with The PUNCH, Madaki said he left the PDP because the party had lost focus.
“The PDP is sinking, and I don’t want to sink with it,” he said. “I joined the APC because it is implementing people-oriented projects for the nation’s development.”
Madaki added that internal crises within the PDP began after the 2019 and 2023 elections, alleging that many governors within the party “think only of themselves and not the people.”