Let me use this opportunity to inform all Nigerians irrespective of party affiliation that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Elective Convention that took place on November 15-16, 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State is not only successful but also legal. It is successful because it has achieved its purpose by electing a new National leadership of the party, PDP. It is legal because several subsisting Supreme Court judgments in Nigeria has held that a Nigerian court has no jurisdiction to determine internal issues of a political party to wit, party membership, party nomination of election candidates, party leadership, party elective convention to elect party leadership at ward, L.G.A, State or National levels and or party suspension or expulsion of her members, etc.

Re-litigation of issues already decided by the Supreme Court goes to no issue.

However, the exception to the above trite decision of the Supreme Court is that it is mandatory for the political parties to obey, comply and respect the sacred and hallowed provisions of its own constitution, rules and GUILDELINES in handling its internal affairs above cited. Where a court of law discovers by facts and evidence before it that a political party has breached its own constitution, rules and GUILDELINES in the conduct of its internal affairs, the court has jurisdiction to intervene and nullify the party?s decisions one way or the other.

Regarding the ignoble and politically motivated absence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the just concluded PDP national convention in Ibadan on November 15-16, 2025 after duly acknowledging the Official Notice of the PDP National Convention, in my informed legal opinion, this does not in any way invalidate the PDP national Convention.

In the eye of the law as long as the necessary Notice of the Convention has been duly served, received and acknowledged by INEC as required by the extant Electoral Act, the failure by the Prof. Joash Amupitan-led INEC to attend, observe or monitor the exercise is legally condemnable and by the fiat of the law does not affect the validity of the convention. It is not the duty of INEC to choose which judgment, Ruling or Order to obey.

As it is these are the subsisting legal position at the time of the PDP convention on November 15-16, 2025 namely:

(1). The trite several Supreme court Judgments that courts are barred from determining issues of internal affairs of a political party in this present case national elective convention of PDP to elect her national leadership, the status quo legal regime which INEC ought to obey for now.

(2). Federal High Court, Abuja Judgment per Omotosho J., instituted by PDP factional Chairmen that in its judgment pronounced against the holding PDP convention, that is still subject-matter of appeal which is not yet a judicial law.

(3). Federal High Court Abuja Judgment per Lifu J. instituted by former Gov. Sule Lamido that also pronounced an injunctive Order, that is still subject-matter of appeal which is not yet a judicial law and

(4). High Court of Oyo State that ultimately gave the last greenlight to the PDP to go on with the planned PDP national convention that is still subject- matter of appeal which is not yet a judicial law.

My community legal interpretation of the whole legal tango affecting the PDP national convention is that only the final determination of the above 3 cases by the Supreme court of Nigeria will determine the fate of PDP. If the Supreme Court determines the 3 cases in favour of PDP everything done by the PDP in the national convention becomes legal and valid but if the Supreme Court determines against PDP everything done by PDP in the national convention and by necessary implication any nomination of election candidates becomes null and void. But for now the status quo is that everything done by PDP is legal and valid until set aside by the Supreme Court decision. So INEC has no legal reason not to attend the PDP national convention to observe and monitor it the same way the Nigeria Police and other security agencies attended the convention and performed their statutory duties of providing security for the national convention.

It Is hoped that INEC will accord due recognition to the outcome of the PDP national convention whenever communicated to them by the newly elected leadership of PDP.

The principle of party supremacy in the Nigeria?s participatory democracy must be respected at all times by the courts and INEC.

?Barr. Jezie Ekejiuba is a Human Rights Lawyer & President, Voters Rights Organisation of Nigeria (VRON). Hecan be reached via barrister.jezie4peace@yahoo.com

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