The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has upheld the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held on November 15 and 16, 2025, in the Oyo State capital.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Ladiran Akintola ruled that the convention was validly convened and that its outcome remains binding on all relevant authorities and stakeholders. The suit was filed by Folahan Malomo Adelabi, who asked the court to determine the legality of the process leading to the convention.
The court granted all the reliefs sought by Adelabi through his counsel, Musbau Adetunmbi, resolving the legal dispute in his favour and dismissing objections raised by the defendants.
According to the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment seen by TheCable, Justice Akintola held that the PDP met all the legal requirements necessary to organise its national convention, regardless of whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the exercise.
“In view of the fact that the defendants are not opposed to the prayers being sought in this amended originating summons, the court hereby resolves all the nine questions isolated for the determination of this court in this suit in favour of the claimant but against the defendants jointly and severally,” the judge ruled.
The court further declared that the national convention, once convened, “shall be deemed to have been properly convened such that its outcome is binding on all authorities and persons that have a duty to relate with the claimant.”
Those listed as defendants in the suit filed in November 2025 are the PDP, its acting national chairman Umar Damagum, and the governor of Adamawa State, Umar Fintiri.
Adelabi had earlier sought an interim injunction restraining the defendants from “truncating, frustrating the Guidelines, Timetable and Schedule of Activities and/or disrupting, preventing and/or stopping the conduct of the scheduled National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fixed for the 15th and 16th November, 2025, at Ibadan to elect officers of the said party at national level pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
He also asked the court to order the PDP leadership to strictly adhere to the approved guidelines, timetable and schedule of activities for the convention pending the hearing of the substantive motion.
The convention had been surrounded by legal battles and conflicting court orders in the weeks leading up to it.
On October 31, 2025, a Federal High Court in Abuja stopped the PDP from proceeding with the convention. Again, on November 11, 2025, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja restrained the party from holding the exercise.
However, on November 4, 2025, the Oyo State High Court directed the PDP to go ahead with the convention, creating confusion over which court order should take precedence.
Despite the legal tussles, the party went ahead with the convention in Ibadan, where 20 members of the National Working Committee (NWC) were elected. Among those elected were Turaki as national chairman, Hamza Akuyan Koshe as deputy national chairman (North), Daniel Ambrose Woye as deputy national chairman (South), and Arapaja Taofeek Gbola-Oladejo as national secretary.
In January 2026, another Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan nullified the convention. In that ruling, Justice Uche Agomoh barred the national officers elected at the convention from parading themselves as the party’s leadership.
Friday’s decision by the Oyo State High Court now sets aside earlier uncertainties, affirming that the convention was properly conducted and that its decisions remain valid and binding.
