Oyo High Court Upholds PDP National Convention in Ibadan, Orders INEC to Recognise Outcomes

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the judgment of the Oyo State High Court which upheld the party’s National Convention held in Ibadan, declaring it valid and lawfully conducted.

Delivering judgment in Ibadan, Justice Ladiran Akintola affirmed that the convention complied fully with the PDP constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The court granted all reliefs sought by the claimant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi, and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and give full effect to all decisions and resolutions reached at the convention.

In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP described the ruling as a decisive affirmation that the Ibadan convention was conducted properly, transparently and in strict adherence to due process.

The suit, filed by Musibau Adetunbi (SAN) on behalf of Adelabi, a card-carrying member of the party, sought to protect his constitutional right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. Among other prayers, the claimant asked the court to compel the PDP to conduct its elections as publicly advertised and to direct INEC to honour the outcomes of the convention.

The court had earlier granted an order on November 3, 2025, which it renewed on November 14, 2025, providing the legal foundation for the convention that held on November 15 and 16, 2025. The latest judgment, the party said, cements and gives final effect to those earlier rulings.

Reacting to the verdict, the PDP welcomed what it called a “vindication of both fact and law,” commending the court for what it described as courage and fidelity to justice. The party reaffirmed its confidence in the Nigerian judiciary as an independent arbiter and the last hope of the ordinary citizen.

It also pledged to continue pursuing all legitimate legal avenues to ensure that justice prevails, expressing confidence that appellate courts, if approached, would uphold the law without fear or favour.