Despite a Federal High Court ruling halting its national convention, the Peoples Democratic Party is forging ahead with preparations as four of its serving governors arrived in Ibadan on Friday.
South-West zonal chairman of the party, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, confirmed to Saturday PUNCH that the governors of Bauchi, Bala Mohammed; Zamfara, Dauda Lawal; Adamawa, Ahmadu Fintiri; and Oyo, Seyi Makinde, are already in the state capital for the two-day convention scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
The opposition party has been grappling with deepening internal divisions, with camps loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, clashing over the legitimacy of the convention.
Tensions escalated earlier in the week after former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging his alleged exclusion from purchasing the nomination form for the national chairmanship.
Justice James Omotosho subsequently issued an order suspending the convention, citing breaches of the PDP constitution regarding the transmission of official notifications to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Meanwhile, the electoral umpire has also indicated that it will not be part of the process.
A senior INEC official involved in political party monitoring said the commission would stay away from the exercise in line with the court ruling.
“INEC will not monitor the PDP convention,” the official confirmed.
Another senior source at the commission reinforced the position, insisting that INEC would abide strictly by the law.
“We are a law-abiding institution. We will obey the FCT High Court,” the source said.
With governors arriving, delegates mobilising and legal uncertainties hanging over the exercise, Ibadan now sits at the centre of what may become one of the PDP’s most contentious conventions in recent years.
