Again, PDP Crisis Resurrects Conflicting Judgments

Last Tuesday, the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan cleared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to proceed with its scheduled elective national convention on November 15 and 16, 2025.

In a ruling delivered by Justice A. L. Akintola, the court granted an interim order allowing the party to hold the convention as planned in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to attend, monitor, and observe the exercise, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion on notice.

The claimant had urged the court to restrain the defendants from truncating, frustrating, or disrupting the timetable, guidelines, and schedule of activities leading to the convention.

After hearing the motion on Monday, Justice Akintola held that the claimant successfully demonstrated the need for urgent judicial intervention. He consequently granted the interim orders sought, restraining any interference with the PDP’s timetable and schedule of activities, and compelling the defendants to hold the national convention as fixed.

The court order came after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja had last Friday halted the same planned national convention until the party complies with the statutory requirements of the party, the Constitution, and the Electoral Act. 

In a judgement he delivered, the judge also restrained the INEC from accepting a report on the outcome of any national convention of the party without following the due process of the law, as well as its guidelines and regulations.

Now, another court, a state High Court with concurrent jurisdiction, has come up with a counter judgment. So which decision should INEC obey?

What is happening in the party is clearly a supremacy battle; and the judiciary has been dragged into it. It has now degenerated to who controls the courts more.

This is not the first time Nigerians would be experiencing this. It is very common this period; a period where the judiciary will rubbish itself with conflicting judgements and orders.

This is why the National Judicial Council (NJC) must quickly intervene and sanction in the erring judge inviting judge in the PDP dispute, otherwise with the 2027 elections fast approaching, the issue of conflicting orders and judgements will ridicule the judiciary and Nigeria’s democracy in a most embarrassing manner.