Ibadan is on edge as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) finalises arrangements for its national convention this weekend, with internal divisions threatening to overshadow the two-day gathering.
The convention, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, has become one of the most contentious in the party’s recent history. A faction of the PDP has already withdrawn from the process, deepening fears of a fresh crisis within the opposition bloc.
In the days leading up to the event, the National Working Committee (NWC) chaired by Umar Damagum announced a one-month suspension for three key officials — National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu; National Organising Secretary Umar Bature; and National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade — over allegations of anti-party conduct. The disciplinary action further exposed the widening cracks in the PDP’s leadership structure.
The situation escalated after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered that the convention be put on hold, ruling that the PDP failed to comply with its own constitutional provisions. According to the judge, official notifications for the convention were not properly signed before being sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), prompting the court to bar the electoral body from monitoring the exercise.
However, the Damagum-led NWC secured a temporary reprieve on Thursday when Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court granted an ex parte order permitting the party to proceed with the event in Ibadan.
As delegates arrive and political actors jockey for influence, attention now turns to whether the convention will ease long-standing tensions within the PDP or fuel new battles in the nation’s main opposition party.
