PDP Delegates Arrive Ibadan as Court Orders, Party Factions Clash Over Convention

The Peoples Democratic Party convention, set for Saturday and Sunday in Ibadan, is drawing delegates from across the country as the opposition party battles internal disputes, court rulings, and pressure from different factions. The event, expected to bring together over 3,000 delegates, leaders, and observers, is taking place at a time when the party is split over whether the gathering should proceed.

Preparations continued at the Lekan Salami Stadium on Thursday, with decorations, staging, and technical work in progress. Members of the venue committee said the setup was more than halfway completed, though they admitted that heavy traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway slowed down the movement of equipment and personnel. The Oyo State Deputy Governor visited the venue to inspect the progress ahead of the two-day meeting.

Delegates from at least 24 states had reached Ibadan by Thursday night, with more expected to arrive before the start of the event. Party officials said they had secured the constitutional requirement of a two-thirds attendance of states, which in their view makes the convention valid and ready to proceed. They also said INEC and security agencies were expected at the venue, though final confirmation from the electoral body would depend on the agency’s ongoing legal review.

The buildup to the convention has been marked by conflicting court orders. A ruling from the Federal High Court in Abuja earlier stopped the convention due to questions over the party’s internal procedures. Another ruling from an Oyo State High Court allowed the party to go ahead with the event. A separate case filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido also sought to halt the convention over his claim that he was wrongly excluded from contesting the position of National Chairman. Judgment in Lamido’s case was expected on Thursday but was not delivered, as the court said the decision was not ready.

These legal battles have deepened divisions within the party. Former Senate President Bukola Saraki called on the party to suspend the convention and set up a caretaker committee, warning that pushing ahead could worsen the crisis. His appeal came after he met with the PDP Board of Trustees Reconciliation Team in Abuja. Saraki argued that court cases, unresolved disputes, and questions over the legality of the convention could affect the party’s future and make the platform unstable for anyone planning to contest under it.

His position was rejected by some senior party leaders, including former BOT Chairman Bode George, who insisted that the convention must hold. He said that delegates were already arriving in Ibadan and maintained that there was no reason to call off the gathering. George also dismissed the idea of a caretaker committee, saying it would further weaken the party.

The disagreement extended to state chapters. In Rivers State, one faction said it would participate in the Ibadan event, while another group loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said it would not attend, citing the court orders stopping the convention. Members of the Wike-aligned faction stated that attending the gathering would go against the decisions already issued by the Federal High Court.

Another faction within the PDP also urged delegates across the country to avoid the convention, insisting that the court orders against the event must be obeyed. They argued that going ahead would have no legal force and could create more problems within the party. Leaders of this group warned that the gathering in Ibadan could create deeper cracks in the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.

Meanwhile, some party members in Abuja described the planned event in Ibadan as risky and said it could expose the party to a fresh round of internal conflict if the legal issues are not resolved first. They said the party should avoid any step that could lead to more court cases or factional disputes.

Despite all the tension, the PDP chapter in Ibadan continued its work on the venue and insisted that the convention would take place as planned. Sound systems, stages, and decorations in the party’s colours were gradually being set up, while hotels across the city reported a surge in bookings from incoming delegates and party officials.

As the party heads into the weekend, the PDP is split between those pushing forward with the convention and those saying it should not hold until all legal and political questions are settled. The final decision from INEC, as well as possible new court dates, may determine how the event unfolds.