Courts to decide validity of Wike-backed PDP convention — Makinde camp

By Luminous Jannamike

The validity of the recent convention organised by a faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is now before the courts, as a rival bloc within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), backed by Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), intensifies its legal challenge to the party’s leadership crisis.

The dispute, which has moved beyond internal party wrangling, is now a constitutional issue, one that will determine not just who leads the PDP but also test the limits of judicial intervention in party affairs, as tensions deepen over legitimacy and control of party structures.

In a statement by Ini Ememobong, National Publicity Secretary of the factional PDP National Working Committee aligned with Makinde, the group said it had taken the matter to court, including filing processes at the Supreme Court, to resolve all issues surrounding the party’s leadership and the disputed convention.

“With the series of disturbing activities occurring in succession within the last 48 hours, genuine members of the Peoples Democratic Party across the country have expressed their concerns and are asking what the future holds for the party and our country’s democracy, by extension,” the statement said.

The group said it had filed an appeal at the Supreme Court alongside other applications and served all parties involved.

“With this appeal and the relevant concomitant applications filed and served on all the parties involved, we are hopeful that sooner, rather than later, the apex court will, in the interest of democracy, expeditiously hear and adjudicate on this matter,” it stated.

It also accused the Wike-backed faction of proceeding with the convention despite ongoing proceedings at the Court of Appeal (Ibadan Division), where parties had already agreed on how the matter would proceed.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we state that the pre-Easter jamboree of APC sympathisers and members of ‘Wike’s Autocratic Party’, which they mischievously tagged a PDP convention, was held in contempt of the Court of Appeal,” the statement added.

The crisis deepened further after a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the rival faction access to the PDP national secretariat and directed security agencies to protect them while occupying the premises.

“Additionally, the Federal High Court, Abuja, per Justice Abdulmalik… delivered judgment this morning in favour of the Wike-backed APC apologists, granting them access to the PDP secretariat and directing security agencies to offer them protection while in occupation of the said secretariat,” it said.

The faction said it had already moved to challenge the judgment.

“In response, we have directed our lawyers to immediately file an appeal and other relevant applications against this judgment,” it stated.

Beyond the internal struggle, the group blamed the ruling party for the crisis, warning that the situation could have wider consequences for Nigeria’s political space.

“On the whole, we must admit what is already public knowledge; these are very trying times for us, the PDP, and all opposition parties in Nigeria.

“These crises are clearly orchestrated by the Bola Tinubu-led APC government, who have shown morbid fear for the existence of alternative political platforms, and are determined to foist a one-party state on the country.

“We urge our members and all Nigerians to keep hope alive in the sincere expectation that the apex court will come to the rescue of multi-party democracy in the appeal before them.

“The Supreme Court now has the historic opportunity to uphold and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its earlier decisions on the jurisdiction of courts in internal affairs of political parties, when it has its final say,” it added.

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