Court declines bid to stop PDP’s planned NEC meeting, convention

The Federal High Court in Abuja has turned down a request seeking to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from going ahead with its scheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and national convention slated for October and November 2025.

In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Justice J.K. Omotosho declined to grant an interim injunction filed by Austine Nwachukwu, chairman of the PDP in Imo State; Amah Nnanna, chairman of the Abia State chapter; and Turnah George, secretary of the party’s South-south zone.

The aggrieved party officials had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP before the court, asking that INEC be restrained from monitoring or recognising any party gathering conducted without proper notice and adherence to democratic procedures.

Their counsel, Joseph Daudu, alongside Ogwu Onoja, M.A. Ebute, Adedayo Adedeji, and Chima Chidi, also sought an order stopping the PDP leadership from holding the NEC meeting fixed for 15 October and the national convention slated for 15 and 16 November in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Justice Omotosho, however, ruled that the defendants — INEC, the PDP, and its principal officers — must first be properly served with the substantive motion before any restraining order could be considered.

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“The Motion Ex parte for Interim Injunction is hereby refused. The Plaintiffs/Applicants are hereby ordered to serve the Defendants with the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction,” the judge said.

The judge also warned all parties against taking actions that could undermine the pending application.

“All parties in this suit upon being served with this order and the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction must not take any step, decision or do any act that will make the outcome of the reliefs in the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction nugatory,” he added.

He further cautioned that any act aimed at frustrating the judicial process would be declared null and void.

“Any step, decision or act taken to make the outcome of a judicial process such as the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction nugatory shall be deemed to be a nullity. It is trite law that upon being served with a court process, no party shall take any steps to make the outcome of such process nugatory,” Justice Omotosho said.

The matter was adjourned to 14 October for hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

The plaintiffs, reportedly allies of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, are urging the court to compel INEC to carry out its constitutional duty of monitoring and regulating the PDP’s internal activities, alleging that the party leadership intends to hold the NEC and convention in breach of its constitution and democratic principles.

With the refusal of the interim injunction, the PDP’s planned meetings are, for now, free to proceed — though the court has directed all sides to maintain the status quo pending further hearing.