Lawsuit filed in Abuja seeks to delegitimize rival faction’s actions
The lingering internal crisis gripping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened significantly, with the faction aligned with Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike filing a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The action is aimed at preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the outcome of the party’s parallel national convention, which was held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16.
The lawsuit, specifically marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, lists the PDP, alongside two key officials from the Wike camp—Mohammed Abdulrahman (acting national chairman of the faction) and Samuel Anyanwu (national secretary)—as the plaintiffs. They are demanding that the court declare the Ibadan convention and all decisions reached during the event as “null, void, and of no effect.” This legal move is designed to completely delegitimize the rival faction’s leadership and disciplinary actions, particularly the expulsion of several prominent members.
Grounds for challenging the Ibadan convention
The core of the plaintiffs’ legal argument rests on the contention that the Ibadan convention was held in “blatant disregard” of multiple existing orders and judgments issued by the Federal High Court. In their originating summons, the plaintiffs specifically cited three key judicial pronouncements they claim the opposing faction ignored:
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A judgment delivered on October 31 in FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025: Austine Nwachukwu v INEC & Ors.
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An interim order of November 11 and a subsequent judgment on November 14 in FHC/ABJ/CS/2299/2025: Sule Lamido v PDP & Ors.
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A judgment delivered on May 31, 2023, in FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023: Nyesom Wike v PDP & Ors.
According to the plaintiffs, these court decisions had effectively nullified the 21-day notice required for the convention and expressly restrained the party from holding the exercise altogether. The Wike faction alleges that despite these explicit judicial restraints, the 5th to 25th defendants, including Umar Damagum and Kabiru Turaki (the newly elected national chairman), unlawfully organized the Ibadan gathering, where they purportedly elected new national officers and announced the suspension or expulsion of loyal Wike allies.
Allegations of forceful takeover and security bias
The depth of the internal political crisis was further revealed in an affidavit deposed to by the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu. He alleged that on November 18, the rival group attempted to “forcibly take control” of the party’s official national secretariat, known as Wadata Plaza, and its annex, Legacy House, in Abuja, but failed to do so.
More controversially, Anyanwu claimed that instead of enforcing the extant court orders that favored his faction, the security agencies—specifically the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS)—allegedly “sealed up” the secretariat and denied access to the legitimate party officers. The affidavit claims that “The 2nd to 4th defendants have now sealed up the premises of the 1st plaintiff and denied the 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs access to their offices.” This allegation suggests that the security apparatus may be perceived as being used to frustrate one side of the political dispute.
Ex-governors among the expelled
The highly contentious Ibadan convention resulted in severe disciplinary measures against the Wike faction’s leadership. Prominent figures who were purportedly expelled from the PDP at the gathering included Samuel Anyanwu and Nyesom Wike himself, alongside former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and eight other party leaders. The legal action is, therefore, a fight for the very political survival and legitimacy of the Wike camp within the PDP structure.
In their prayers to the court, the plaintiffs seek several critical orders, including:
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A declaration that INEC, the Inspector-General of Police, the FCT Commissioner of Police, and the DSS are constitutionally obligated to enforce the earlier court judgments.
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An order restraining all defendants from recognizing or giving effect to the Ibadan convention.
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An order stopping the newly elected officials from parading themselves as legitimate PDP officials.
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A directive compelling security agencies to provide protection for the plaintiffs and grant them access to Wadata Plaza and Legacy House.
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An order restraining INEC from accepting any change of address for the PDP other than its two official Abuja locations.
The outcome of this lawsuit is crucial, as it will determine which faction the electoral commission (INEC) will officially recognize as the authentic leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, a decision that will have significant bearing on the party’s preparedness for future elections. As of the time of reporting, the suit has not yet been assigned to a judge, and no hearing date has been scheduled, leaving the party in a state of political and administrative limbo.
