The crisis rocking the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a fresh twist on Monday as a group of stakeholders petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) against Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court over an ex parte order permitting the party to hold its national convention in Ibadan, the state capital.
The petitioners accused Justice Akintola of judicial misconduct, alleging that his order contradicted an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which had restrained the PDP from convening its planned convention.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had two weeks ago barred the PDP from proceeding with the convention, citing non-compliance with the party’s internal procedures for notifying the Independent National Electoral Commission.
However, a week later, Justice Akintola vacated that order, granting the party leave to hold the event in Ibadan.
The conflicting rulings have further deepened divisions within the party, with suspended National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, leading a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, while the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, leads the other camp.
In a petition dated November 5, 2025, and received by the Office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria on November 6, the trio of Austine Nwachukwu, Amah Nnanna and Turnah George described Justice Akintola’s action as “judicial recklessness, impunity, and a flagrant violation of established legal processes.”
The petitioners alleged that Justice Akintola issued an ex parte order on November 4, 2025, allowing the PDP to hold its November 15–16 convention in Ibadan, despite an earlier Federal High Court order of October 31 restraining the event. They described the judge’s action as a grave breach of judicial ethics.
They urged the NJC to investigate and sanction Justice Akintola, warning that failure to act would undermine judicial integrity and set a dangerous precedent.
The PUNCH
