Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has affirmed the legality of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in the state on November 15, 2025.
Gatekeepers News reports that Justice Ladiran Akintola delivered the ruling on Friday while giving judgment in a suit instituted by Folahan Malomo Adelabi.
The court granted all the reliefs sought by the claimant, who had approached the court through his counsel, Musbau Adetunmbi, to challenge attempts to halt the convention.
In the suit filed in November 2025, Adelabi listed the PDP, its acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, Adamawa State Governor Umar Fintiri, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.
He had requested an interim injunction to prevent any move capable of disrupting or stopping the scheduled national convention, as well as an order compelling the party and its leaders to strictly follow the approved guidelines, timetable, and schedule of activities for the exercise.
Justice Akintola ruled that the convention was valid and properly conducted, affirming earlier decisions of the Oyo court that had directed the party to proceed with the event despite conflicting judgments from other courts.
The convention had earlier generated legal controversies following multiple court orders. On October 31, 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja restrained the PDP from proceeding with the convention.
A similar order was issued on November 11, 2025, by Justice Peter Lifu of the same court. However, on November 4, 2025, the Oyo State High Court ordered the party to conduct the convention as scheduled.
Despite the legal tussle, the PDP went ahead with the convention in Ibadan, where 20 members of the National Working Committee were elected, including Turaki as national chairman, Hamza Akuyan Koshe as deputy national chairman (north), Daniel Ambrose Woye as deputy national chairman (south), and Arapaja Taofeek Gbola-Oladejo as national secretary.
In January 2026, the Federal High Court in Ibadan nullified the convention and restrained the newly elected officers from presenting themselves as the party’s national leadership. However, Friday’s judgment by the Oyo State High Court has now overturned that decision, effectively restoring the validity of the convention and the officers elected from it.
