The Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has adjourned its ruling on a preliminary objection challenging its jurisdiction in a lawsuit over the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) upcoming national convention.
The convention, scheduled to hold on Saturday, 15 November, and Sunday, 16 November 2025, in Ibadan, has become the focal point of legal disputes within the party. The suit was filed by PDP member Mr. Folahan Adelabi, who urged the court to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.
Adelabi’s counsel, Musibau Adetumbi, SAN, however, opposed the objection, arguing that it infringed on his client’s fundamental rights. Citing the 1999 Constitution, Adetumbi highlighted the guaranteed right to lawful assembly and association, and contended that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not among the agencies empowered to exclusively place such matters before the Federal High Court, as outlined in Section 251 of the Constitution. He urged the court to dismiss the preliminary objection and proceed to hear the substantive suit.
After hearing arguments from both sides, presiding judge Justice Ladiran Akintola adjourned the ruling to 8 December 2025. He reaffirmed that the interim order previously granted—restraining the defendants from disrupting or interfering with preparations for the PDP national convention—remains in effect.
The defendants in the suit include the PDP as the first defendant, its acting National Chairman Umar Damagun as the second defendant, and Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who chairs the PDP Convention Organising Committee, as the third defendant. INEC is listed as the fourth defendant.
The adjournment in Ibadan coincides with a separate development in Abuja, where Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court issued a final order halting the PDP from proceeding with its convention. The order, arising from a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, requires the party to comply fully with its constitution and internal guidelines. Justice Lifu also directed that the convention be suspended until Lamido is allowed to purchase a nomination form to contest for the position of national chairman.
The legal tussles have intensified the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP, which has seen suspensions and counter-suspensions of party chieftains. The unfolding court battles have added further uncertainty to the party’s plans to elect its national officers.
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