As legal wrangling stalls the planned Ibadan convention, internal power struggles, judicial contradictions, and defections threaten to bury the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2027 ambitions.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is once again at a perilous crossroads, as internal ambition, judicial entanglements, and high-profile defections have combined to push Nigeria’s main opposition party into unprecedented turmoil. The party’s much-anticipated national convention, originally scheduled for Ibadan, Oyo State, has been effectively halted following conflicting court orders and worsening factional disputes that threaten its future relevance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The crisis deepened when Justice Lifu of the Federal High Court restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring or recognising the Ibadan convention, while Justice Omotosho, in a separate ruling, directed the party to postpone the exercise pending the resolution of a suit filed by the faction led by Mohammed Abdulrahman. Justice Lifu’s ruling came after former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, argued that proceeding with the convention would deny him a fair opportunity to contest the position of national chairman.
The situation has been compounded by a wave of defections that has rocked the PDP’s leadership structure. Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, who served as Secretary of the National Convention Organising Committee, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), prompting the party to hurriedly appoint Senator Ben Obi as his replacement. Days later, Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri—who chaired the PDP zoning committee—also decamped to the APC, further deepening the crisis.
Before INEC formally recognised Umar Ilya Damagum as the authentic national chairman, the PDP had been operating under two parallel National Working Committees (NWCs): one led by Damagum and the other by Abdulrahman. Both factions have continued to issue conflicting directives, with the Damagum-led leadership insisting on proceeding with the convention despite subsisting court orders, while the Abdulrahman faction suspended preparations pending its appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
As the leadership tussle drags on, several party stakeholders have expressed concern that the PDP’s disunity could render it politically impotent in 2027. Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mba Ekpezu Ukweni, described the party’s crisis as self-inflicted, noting that the roots of its decline trace back to the fallout of the 2022 presidential primaries. Ukweni said the party’s woes worsened after Nyesom Wike failed to clinch the presidential ticket and subsequently the vice-presidential slot, a development that led to internal sabotage and the fragmentation of the once-formidable opposition.
According to Ukweni, “The PDP’s current predicament is not caused by outsiders but by its leaders’ unbridled ambition. After Wike’s defeat, his determination to ‘pull down the house’ severely weakened the party’s structure. The judiciary, unfortunately, has worsened the situation through conflicting rulings that appear politically influenced.” He warned that the erosion of judicial neutrality in political disputes could threaten Nigeria’s democratic balance and embolden authoritarian tendencies.
Echoing similar sentiments, Enugu-based lawyer John Nwobodo urged the PDP to confront its internal lapses rather than blaming the courts. He stressed that while the judiciary has a constitutional duty to adjudicate disputes, conflicting rulings on the same issue have created confusion and public mistrust. “The courts are not the problem,” Nwobodo said. “The problem lies in the PDP’s inability to put its house in order. Until they do, they will continue to postpone their convention and compound their crisis.”
Public affairs analyst and Chairman of the National Association of Public Affairs Analysts (NAPAA), Pastor Olusegun Ogungbayi, described the PDP as “a conglomeration of powerful individuals with destructive egos.” He argued that the party’s collapse was inevitable, given its failure to enforce discipline or collective interest. “The judiciary should also sheathe its sword and prioritise national interest over political influence,” he added.
Former House of Representatives member and economist, Lanre Agoro, was more blunt in his assessment. “The PDP is in the hands of undertakers,” he said. “Those who should be saving it are instead digging its grave. The 2027 elections are already lost for the party unless drastic unity efforts are made.”
Amid the chaos, former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose and PDP elder statesman Chief Olabode George have lashed out at both the party’s leadership and the judiciary. Fayose condemned the Damagum-led NWC for what he called “reckless and uncoordinated management,” accusing it of deepening divisions by announcing the suspension of key officers, including the National Secretary. George, in a strongly worded statement, criticised the Abuja Federal High Court’s ruling as “a judicial embarrassment and an open invitation to anarchy,” urging the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene.
Meanwhile, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, remains a pivotal, if polarising, figure in the unfolding saga. In September, his loyalists, under the banner of Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders, issued conditions for the national convention, including the retention of the 2021 zoning formula and fresh congresses in Ebonyi, Anambra, and Ekiti States. Wike warned that ignoring these demands would trigger an implosion within the party. “If they proceed with the convention without addressing internal grievances, that’s impunity,” he cautioned.
The Abdulrahman-led faction, however, has opted for a cautious approach, filing an appeal against the Abuja Federal High Court’s ruling and suspending all convention-related activities. “In line with due process and fairness, we have filed an appeal and hereby suspend the proposed Ibadan convention pending the Court of Appeal’s decision,” Abdulrahman announced, adding that INEC had been formally notified.
Observers say the PDP’s predicament illustrates a broader decline of internal democracy within Nigeria’s political landscape. With endless litigations, defections, and ego-driven politics, the once-dominant party appears adrift and disoriented. The party’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), summed it up succinctly: “A house divided against itself cannot stand. Ambition is not a sin, but when it threatens the party’s very existence, it becomes destructive.”
Unless the PDP’s warring factions embrace reconciliation and institutional reform, analysts warn that its dream of reclaiming power in 2027 may remain a mirage. For now, its convention is on hold, its members divided, and its future uncertain, trapped between the gavel of the courts and the grip of political ambition.
0 Comments