The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is pressing ahead with its elective national convention at Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on Saturday, defying a Federal High Court order suspending the event.

The convention, aimed at electing new executives, has been overshadowed by judicial disputes, boycotts from key figures, and warnings of deepening fractures within the opposition party.

Despite the Abuja court ruling that halted the convention over the exclusion of former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido from the chairmanship race, four PDP governors—Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, and Seyi Makinde of Oyo—arrived at the venue under tight security. Delegates from Lagos, FCT, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, and Delta joined the gathering, which featured celebratory drumming and heavy police presence, including an Armoured Personnel Carrier stationed at the entrance.

The legal wrangling has created confusion. Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja suspended the convention, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring proceedings until Lamido is allowed to contest. This aligned with an earlier ruling by Justice James Omotosho on October 31, which also halted the event for constitutional breaches. However, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court issued an ex parte order on November 3 permitting the convention under party guidelines and directing INEC oversight. PDP South-West Chairman Kamorudeen Ajisafe dismissed the Abuja ruling as “unknown,” insisting the Ibadan order was binding.

INEC has sided with the Abuja ruling, signaling it will not monitor the convention. A senior official told Saturday PUNCH: “INEC obeys the FCT High Court – no monitoring.” This raises the risk of invalidation if the convention proceeds without INEC’s involvement.

Lamido, speaking on Channels TV, confirmed his boycott, accusing governors of hijacking the party. “They want controllable puppets – PDP produced three presidents, but now governors hijack it,” he said. He argued that attending would undermine the court’s protection of his candidacy. Other notable absentees include Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Internal divisions were further exposed as Wike clashed with PDP founder Bode George over Lamido’s exclusion. George insisted Lamido missed the deadline for nomination forms, while Wike argued that substantive judgments override ex parte orders. Meanwhile, the PDP Board of Trustees’ reconciliation committee, chaired by Ambassador Hassan Adamu, had recommended postponement and a caretaker body, but its advice was ignored by the National Working Committee (NWC).

The NWC has also suspended several officials, including National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, and Organising Secretary Umar Bature, accusing them of anti-party activities and loyalty to Wike. The suspended officials countered that the NWC was defying court orders and pursuing hidden agendas. Governors Mohammed, Makinde, and Muftwang accused Wike of destabilization, while the suspended officials alleged collusion between governors and the ruling APC.

In spite of premium time ads on Channels TV by the Wike group on Friday announcing a postponement of the event, 3,000 delegates are expected though the convention risks being declared invalid if INEC maintains its boycott. The crisis could exacerbate PDP’s internal rifts dating back to the 2022 Atiku Abubakar fallout, fueling more defections ahead of the 2027 elections.