The planned national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), slated for November 15–16, 2025, has been suspended by a Federal High Court in Abuja — a move hailed by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, as “a very wise and necessary decision.”
Speaking on Friday evening at a meeting of concerned PDP stakeholders held at his Abuja residence, Wike described the ruling as a victory for the rule of law and internal democracy within the opposition party.
“Today, by the grace of God, the court has made a very wise decision — a very good decision. It cannot be business as usual,” Wike declared.
“Those who have deceived members of our great party for too long must now understand that there are laws to follow. If you don’t follow the law, there’s nothing we can do.”
In the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, restrained the PDP from holding its planned convention in Ibadan pending further notice.
The judge ruled that the party had failed to conduct valid state congresses nationwide, in violation of both the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2022.
Wike blamed the PDP’s internal crisis on what he termed the “arrogance and impunity” of the party’s leadership, particularly the PDP Governors’ Forum, which he accused of neglecting loyal members and due process.
“Leadership is key in everything. When people become arrogant enough to say nobody matters — when they fail to recognise those who have sustained this party — such leadership does not mean well for the PDP,” he said.
“On the one hand, it’s one of my happiest days. On the other, it’s one of my saddest. If you love your party, you cannot be happy with what’s going on. We’ve fought impunity, but the party is bleeding.”
He stressed that opposition parties must remain united and law-abiding if they hope to regain the trust of Nigerians.
“The essence of opposition is to wrest power from the ruling party. But you must first put your house in order to show Nigerians you can do things differently,” Wike added.
Among those present at the meeting were several notable PDP figures, including:
- Sam Anyanwu, PDP National Secretary
- Samuel Ortom, former Benue State Governor
- Okezie Ikpeazu, former Abia State Governor
- Philip Aduda, former FCT Senator
- Martins Amaewhule, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly
After the address, Wike and the stakeholders reportedly went into a closed-door session to discuss the party’s next steps following the court’s decision.
