Oyo Court Clears PDP to Hold National Convention in Ibadan, Orders INEC to Monitor Proceedings

By Passman Akpos

Ibadan — The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan and presided over by Justice A. L. Akintola has granted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the legal clearance to proceed with its long-awaited Elective National Convention, scheduled to take place on November 15 and 16, 2025, at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.

Delivering judgment in Suit No. I/1336/2025, filed by Folahan Malamo Adelabi, an aspirant for the position of Deputy National Organizing Secretary, the court issued a series of consequential orders affirming the legitimacy of the planned convention and restraining any interference with the process.

Justice Akintola ordered the PDP, its servants, agents, or officers not to “truncate, frustrate, or disrupt” the party’s approved guidelines, timetable, or schedule of activities leading to the convention. The court further directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy monitors and observers to the exercise to ensure strict compliance with electoral laws and standards.

In what observers have described as a decisive ruling aimed at ensuring internal democracy and transparency within the opposition party, the court emphasized the importance of due process in the conduct of political conventions.

The presiding judge also directed Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Governor of Adamawa State and Chairman of the PDP National Convention Organizing Committee (NCOC), to proceed with all necessary arrangements for the successful organization of the convention.

With the judgment, all legal obstacles hindering the conduct of the event have now been resolved, paving the way for the NCOC to conclude final preparations for the participation of over 3,000 delegates, including statutory delegates, governors, members of the National Assembly, and key stakeholders from across Nigeria.

The forthcoming convention, expected to elect a new set of national officers for the PDP, will mark a critical moment for the party as it seeks to reposition itself ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Political analysts say the court’s ruling has not only reaffirmed the autonomy of political parties to manage their internal affairs within the ambit of the law but also underscored the judiciary’s role in strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.