Court rejects Sule Lamido’s request to stop PDP convention

This ruling comes even as another judge of the same Abuja division of the court, James Omotosho, stopped the party's planned convention on Friday.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday refused to grant an application filed by former governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa seeking an order restraining the Peoples Democratic Party from proceeding with its scheduled national convention.

Mr Lamido served as the governor of Jigawa State from 2007 to 2015. He served two terms under the Peoples Democratic Party.

The PDP convention he is trying to stop is scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, between 15 and 16 November.

In the motion ex parte moved by his lawyer, Jeph Njikonye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, prayed the court to grant the interim order pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice filed alongside.

Judge Peter Lifu, in a ruling, instead ordered the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who are the defendants in the suit, to show cause why the ex governor’s reliefs should not be granted.

The judge gave the defendants 72 hours from the date of service to respond and adjourned the matter until 6 November for hearing.

This ruling comes even as another judge of the same Abuja division of the court, James Omotosho, stopped the party’s planned convention on Friday.

Suit

The ex governor, who is the plaintiff in the fresh suit FHC/ABJ/CS/2299/2025, sued the PDP and INEC defendants.

In the ex parte motion filed on 28 October by his lawyers led by Mr Njikonye, Mr Lamido sought two orders.

He asked the court for an interim order stopping the PDP from holding its national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, on 15 and 16 November 2025. He also asked the court to stop the party from fixing the convention for any other date until his motion is heard and decided.

He then asked for an interim order stopping INEC from monitoring, supervising, or recognising the PDP convention. He urged the court to restrain the electoral body from doing so in Ibadan or any other location on 15 and 16 November, or on any other date the party may choose, until the court hears and decides his motion.

Giving seven reasons why his application should be considered, Mr Lamido noted that once an action was pending in court, parties must maintain status quo to avoid placing the court or a litigant at a disadvantage.

He added that the court had inherent power to preserve the subject of a dispute.

Mr Lamido said if the PDP is not restrained, the party would be violating its constitution and denying him the chance to contest for the position of national chairperson, a position he said he is qualified to contest.

He argued that he has shown a legal interest that entitles him to temporary protection from the court.

Mr Lamido said if the convention went ahead before the motion was decided, the prayers sought in the suit might be useless.

He said the case raised serious issues for the court to resolve. He also argued that the balance of convenience favoured granting the interim orders.

Ruling

After Mr Njikonye moved the motion, the judge, who heard the matter in chambers, said it was necessary to hear from the parties.

The judge said the court carefully perused and painstakingly considered the motion ex parte, the affidavits, exhibits, and the written address, including the decided cases commended to the court by learned senior advocate.

“I have equally advised myself on the issues raised in the originating summons which of course raises triable issues,” he said. “Consequently, considering the entire gamut of the suit, it is my considered view that Order 26 Rule 8(c) of the 2019 Rules of this court be invoked to enable this court to balance the scale and equities of the parties.”