A former governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido, yesterday stated that he won’t be part of the convention because he took the party to court as a means of enforcing his rights, saying that he has suffered so much for the party, but badly treated.

The National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scheduled to begin today in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, is enmeshed in uncertainties. This is because there are conflicting court decisions on the matter.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday issued a final order stopping the PDP from proceeding with its 2025 National Convention meant for electing national officers for the party.

This was just as an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan adjourned ruling on a preliminary objection challenging its jurisdiction in a suit filed by a member of the PDP, Mr. Folahan Adelabi, on the party’s national convention till December 8.

Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo High Court insisted that the earlier interim order restraining the defendants from disrupting the convention remains unvacated. In essence, today’s scheduled convention will go on.

However, Justice Lifu in his final judgment in a suit filed by former Jigawa state governor, Sule Lamido, barred PDP from proceeding with the convention until it complies with its Constitution and Guidelines on the convention.

He ordered that the Ibadan convention must be put on hold until Lamido is allowed to purchase a nomination form for the office of the National Chairmanship and campaign for his aspiration. The judge prohibited the INEC from supervising, monitoring, or aiding the Ibadan convention until the former Jigawa State governor is allowed to participate in the convention.

The judge held that PDP is under a strict obligation to adhere to its own rules and regulations by giving opportunities to eligible members to realise their individual aspirations. He said that it was wrong of the PDP to have denied Lamido the opportunity to purchase a nomination form for the office of the national chairman of the party.

Justice Lifu said that PDP is in breach of its own Constitution and guide- lines by denying some members the opportunity to access the nomination form for elective offices at the convention.

Before now

Justice James Omotosho had earlier, on October 31, restrained the INEC from recognising the outcome of the PDP National Convention. PDP suffered the second blow on November 11, when Justice Lifu issued an order of interim injunction which restrained the PDP from holding its 2025 National Convention.

The court had also barred the INEC from su- pervising, monitoring, or recognizing the outcome of the National Convention, where national officers are expected to be elected.

Justice Lifu had issued the second order while delivering a ruling in an application brought by a former governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido. Lamido, a foundation member of PDP, had dragged the party before the court, complaining that he was denied the opportunity to buy the chairmanship nomination form to enable him to participate in the convention.

The judge held that evidence from Lamido showed that the timetable for the convention was not published for the attention of its members as required by law. Justice Lifu also held that the balance of convenience tilted towards Lamido because he would suffer more if allowed to be unlawfully excluded from the planned convention.

To make a remedy, the Judge said that the former governor had undertaken to pay damages to PDP if his suit was found to be frivolous.

Oyo court’s position

At the resumed hearing in the Oyo High Court on Friday, counsel to the INEC, Mr O. Adeyemi, argued that the commission, being a Federal Government agency, is only subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. He therefore urged the court to strike out the case for lack of jurisdiction.

However, counsel to the claimant, Mr Musibau Adetumbi, SAN, opposed the objection, stating that the argument infringed on the claimant’s fundamental rights. He said the 1999 Constitution guaranteed the right to lawful assembly and convention.

Quoting Section 251 of the Constitution, Mr Adetumbi contended that INEC does not fall within the category of agencies that place the case exclusively before the Federal High Court. He asked the court to dismiss the objection and proceed with the substantive suit.

After listening to both parties, the judge adjourned the ruling to December 8, 2025. He also reaffirmed that the interim order earlier granted, which restrains the defendants from disrupting or interfering with preparations for the PDP national convention, remains in force.

The defendants in the suit are the PDP (1st defendant); its Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagun (2nd defendant); and the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who chairs the PDP Convention Organising Committee (3rd defendant). INEC is the 4th defendant.

How Makinde tried to convince Lamido

Sources in the know on Friday told Saturday Telegraph that Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, tried unsuccessfully to prevail on Lamido to drop his case against the main opposition party, halting the planned elective convention slated for today.

Lamido, a founding member of the PDP, had approached an Abuja Federal High Court to prevail on the party to allow him access to nomination forms to be able to contest the position of the national chairman of the party.

Makinde, in a pre-emptive move, tried to meet with Lamido in his (Lamido’s) Abuja residence to no avail. The development was confirmed by competent sources close to Lamido. The source, who pleaded not to be named, said, “Yes! I can confirm to you that Governor Makinde tried to see Baba Lamido.

He came with other members of the PDP. He came to the house around 10:30 am and left two hours later. I can’t really say what they discussed, but I think it was related to the forthcoming national convention.”

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Suleiman Olarenwaju, confirmed that his principal was away in Abuja, but couldn’t confirm the meeting. “I can confirm to you that Governor Makinde is in Abuja, but I can’t tell you if he met with Alhaji Lamido,” he said.

Ex parte order can’t take precedence over judgment, says Wike But the Minister for the Federal Capital, Chief Nyesom Wike, faulted the decision of the Umar Damagum led faction to go ahead with the planned national convention, saying that doing so would amount to illegality.

Speaking in a televised interview on Channels Television programme, Politics Today, the former Rivers State governor stated that while his faction of the party has a valid court judgment, the other faction is parading an ex parte order.

Wike, who said he is currently in Lagos to celebrate with a former governor of Ekiti State, Peter Ayodele Fayose, on his 65th birthday today, added that the judgment obtained by his faction on the 30th of October settles the debate with regards to the validity or otherwise of the convention slated for Ibadan.

“The Federal High Court on the 30th of October had made a judgment in a case where over 20 senior advocates appeared before it. The point is that the court in Ibadan only gave an ex parte order, and I think that it also extended that ex parte order.

“Are you now telling us that that ex parte order will override a substantive judgment of a court that even has jurisdiction? But anyway, that’s for the court. You have to follow the constitution of the party. You have to follow the Electoral Act. You also have to follow the guidelines and the Constitution,” he said.

I’m in court to secure my right Lamido

However, Lamido has stated that he won’t be part of the convention because he took the party to court as a means of enforcing his rights, saying that he has suffered so much for the party, has been badly treated.

Speaking in a televised interview on Channels Television programme, Politics Today, Lamido who waxed emotional stated that “I should also be crying, because how on earth can I take my own party, the party I so much love, which I live for, for which I went to prison, you know, profoundly, will now deny my own rights as an individual.

“So, I went to court, not because I feel the presence of God, but because I want to be able to get my rights back before it is taken by my party. The issue is just about my own personality, my own dignity, my own honour. “More than anything else, I want the case to be fair enough.

But then again, it’s also important to mention that the case is about my party, about our unity, about our family. I had to go to court.

And therefore, those things which were abounding, as you know, the love, the trust, you know, the accommodation, whatever, you know, it’s all eroded. And I feel very, very sad. “So, that’s the problem. So, to me, I am terribly agonised by this situation. But then again, what can I do? You know, I’m from the old generation.

Lamido purchased nomination forms late – Bode George

In his own submission, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, punctured the argument of Lamido, accusing him of acting in bad faith by trying to collect the chairmanship nomination forms at the last hour.

While maintaining that the party remains strong and will go ahead with today’s convention, as planned, George expressed shock that the former Jigawa governor took the party to court on the matter. “I want to reassure you that this party is solid.

This party is undivided, and the way things went on, I am shell-shocked that he took the party to court. The last NEC meeting we had was the next most powerful committee to the National Convention. At that NEC meeting, the dates for the collection of forms for those who wanted to con- test were stipulated.

“What they (contestants) are supposed to do, when they are supposed to return the forms, was all well stated and approved by NEC. That is the procedure. Now, my brother got it all wrong. For about a month or so, everybody went to collect forms, paid the normal dues, but on his own side, he came physically on the very day that the return of forms closed. “If he had called them earlier, they would have obliged him because of his status.

But to not do that, and then go to court be- cause they didn’t give you the form that day, was bad, considering that it was the last day to return the forms,” Chief George said. He, however, main- tained that the convention will go on, considering the fact that another court of competent jurisdiction had given it the go-ahead.

Respect court judgments – group

A group loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, wants the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to respect the two court judgements stopping the convention.

The group at a joint press conference on Friday held by George Turna (PDP South-South Zonal Secretary), Hon. Amah Abraham (PDP Chairman Abia), and Hon Austin Nwachukwu (Imo Chairman), noted that Federal High Court in Abuja and the report of sixman reconciliation committee set up by the Board of Trustees (BoT), supported the postponement of the convention.

“We fully accept the BoT committee’s recommenda- tions. If the other group rejects this golden opportunity for peace, we will proceed with the appeal. If they continue in defiance, the matter may go all the way to the Supreme Court. Eventually, the rule of law will prevail,” Turna said.

He disclosed that the group has appealed the judgement of Justice James Omotosho at the Court of Appeal, stating that once a matter is before the appellate court, all parties must maintain the status quo. “You cannot proceed with a convention. Justice Lifu’s judgment on unlawful exclusion strengthens this.

If they proceed, they will be acting in open violation of the law. “No PDP convention can hold, because the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary — the only officers empowered to issue notices have already officially stated that there will be no convention anywhere in Nigeria.

That is the lawful position,” he added. Nwachukwu called for the implementation of the BoT report, which he noted did not come from the Wike group. “It came from the BoT, the conscience of our party.

We urge the leadership to quickly implement the recommendations, which will address our concerns and restore order. Many members are frustrated because the party is in disarray.

We deserve commendation for having the courage to challenge illegality,” he said. His Abia State counter- part, Abraham, stated that the implementation of the BoT’s recommendations will restore sanity in the party.