Wike Speaks as Oyo Court Lifts PDP Convention Ban

The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has rejected the Oyo State High Court’s ruling on Tuesday. The verdict had approved the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) plan to hold its national convention on Saturday and Sunday, November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan.

Justice Ladiran Akintola granted the ex parte motion filed on Monday by Folahan Adelabi in suit number I/1336/2025, and adjourned the case to 10 November 2025 for hearing of the motion on notice.

The Oyo order contradicts last Friday’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which restrained the PDP from holding the convention.

Delivering judgment in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, Justice James Omotosho ordered that the convention be halted until the party complies with its constitution, the Nigerian Constitution, and the Electoral Act.

The suit was filed by three aggrieved members of the party — Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman) and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South).

Justice Omotosho directed the PDP ‘to go back and put its house in order, and to give the statutory 21-day notice to INEC before it can proceed with the proposed convention’.

He also restrained INEC from accepting or recognising the outcome of any national convention that is not conducted in accordance with due process, the law, and INEC’s own regulations.

In the Oyo case, the defendants include the PDP; its National Chairman, Umar Damagum (for himself and the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee); Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri (for himself and the National Convention Organising Committee); and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Justice Akintola granted all interim orders sought by the claimant, restraining ‘the defendants or their agents from truncating or frustrating the conduct of the party’s scheduled national convention’.

The judge also directed the PDP leadership to strictly adhere to the guidelines, timetable, and schedule of activities previously released for the convention, and ordered the party and its committees to hold, conduct, and convene the elective national convention as planned in Ibadan, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

He likewise ordered INEC to attend, monitor and observe the conduct of the convention in line with the Electoral Act.

According to the ruling, the claimant had established a basis for urgent judicial intervention, and the judge commended the claimant’s ‘transparency’ in filing a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction along with the ex parte application.

The certified true copy of the enrolment order was signed by S. O. Hammed, Principal Registrar of the Oyo State High Court, and issued in Ibadan on 3 November 2025.

Reacting to the development, Wike, through his Senior Special Assistant, Lere Olayinka, dismissed the Oyo order, insisting that the Abuja judgment takes precedence.

He said, ‘Are you unaware of the last Friday judgment of the Federal High Court? There was a judgment on Friday. Another court now gave an ex parte order! Do you know what an ex parte order means?

‘It means it expires in seven days or at the highest 14 days. Is the High Court in Ibadan the appeal court? Is that an order you should obey? Is an order higher than a judgment?

‘A court gave a judgment that INEC should not attend, you now went to Ibadan to get an order, an ex parte order. And you are asking whether the minister will attend?’