The National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended four of its national officers for one month.
The decision follows a court ruling that effectively halted the party’s planned national convention.
Those suspended are: Kamaldeen Ajibade (National Legal Adviser),
Senator Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Okechukwu Osuoha (Deputy Legal Adviser), and Umaru Bature (National Organizing Secretary).
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed the suspension to newsmen on Saturday, November 1 in Abuja.
He explained that the action was taken after an emergency NWC meeting held earlier that day at the party’s Legacy House office in Maitama, Abuja.
He said: “The NWC, in line with the party’s constitution, came to the following conclusion: the National Legal Adviser, Mr. Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; and National Organizing Secretary have been suspended for one month and referred to the PDP Disciplinary Committee.”
The suspension comes after Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court, Abuja, stopped the opposition party from holding the convention over alleged violations of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the party’s own internal constitution.
Delivering judgment in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, the judge held that the PDP failed to conduct valid state congresses in several states and also breached the law by failing to issue the mandatory 21-day notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before convening the convention.
Omotosho ruled that the irregularities were fundamental and rendered the entire process leading to the proposed convention invalid.
“The failure of the PDP to comply with the law has put the planned convention in jeopardy. The party must do the needful before going ahead with the election,” he declared.
He further ruled that all convention notices must be jointly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary, adding that the signing of such documents by the chairman alone was unlawful.
The judge consequently restrained INEC from monitoring, recognising, or publishing the outcome of any PDP convention that did not meet the legal requirements.
“INEC is not entitled to give effect to the outcome of any political party convention that does not comply with the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and relevant party guidelines,” Omotosho said.
The suit was filed by three aggrieved PDP members — Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Amah Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman), and Turnah George (South-South Zonal Secretary).
They asked the court to halt the planned convention on the grounds that it violated both the Electoral Act and the PDP’s internal rules.
They alleged that no valid congresses were conducted in at least 14 states before the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee issued notice for the convention.
The nine defendants in the suit include INEC, the PDP, National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, the NWC, the NEC, Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi.
In rejecting the PDP’s preliminary objection that the case was an internal affair, Justice Omotosho ruled that compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines transcends party matters.
“Non-compliance with the rules and regulations of INEC and political parties cannot be regarded as an internal affair of a political party.
“INEC has the power to issue subsidiary legislation for the conduct of political parties, and such subsidiary legislation has the force of law,” he said.
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