PDP Power Tussle Deepens as 3,000 Delegates Head to Ibadan for Controversial Convention

 tension is rising within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as over 3,000 delegates prepare to gather in Ibadan, Oyo State, for the party’s national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2025.

The event has become a flashpoint in the fierce battle between the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, had earlier halted the convention, citing procedural violations. However, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court later granted an ex parte order allowing the convention to proceed, deepening the legal confusion.

Following the Abuja ruling, the Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) suspended National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and other top officials for alleged anti-party activities. In retaliation, Anyanwu’s camp suspended Damagum and named Abdulrahman Mohammed as acting chairman.

Party insiders loyal to Damagum insist the Ibadan convention will hold, arguing the Oyo ruling is the most recent and binding. But Anyanwu maintains that proceeding with the convention amounts to contempt of court and warned that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will not recognise it.

Meanwhile, Wike’s allies accuse Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of worsening the crisis over alleged presidential ambitions, warning that holding the convention without reconciliation will further divide the PDP.

As the showdown approaches, the opposition party stands on the brink of a major split that could redefine its future ahead of the 2027 elections.