Four governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have arrived in Ibadan, Oyo State, as the party pushes forward with its national convention despite a Federal High Court order suspending the exercise.

The South-West chairman of the PDP, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, confirmed the presence of the governors of Bauchi (Bala Mohammed), Zamfara (Dauda Lawal), Adamawa (Ahmadu Fintiri), and Oyo (Seyi Makinde).

The PDP is currently split between factions loyal to Minister of the FCT Nyesome Wike and acting Chairman Umar Damagum.

The crisis escalated after former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido went to court, alleging he was denied the opportunity to purchase a nomination form for the national chairmanship.

On Friday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the PDP to suspend the convention and barred INEC from supervising it until Lamido was allowed to contest.

The court emphasized the party’s duty to enable members to pursue leadership positions and mandated that Lamido be allowed to campaign before any convention proceeds.

This ruling came in the wake of a similar order by Justice Lifu on November 11, 2025, which also restrained the PDP from holding the convention.

Lamido’s lawyers argued that ignoring the court order would violate the party constitution and deny him his rights.

However, a conflicting order from the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on November 3 permitted the convention to proceed and instructed INEC to monitor it.

Ajisafe, citing the Ibadan High Court ruling, insisted preparations were 98% complete and the convention would go on as planned.

Delegates from multiple states, including Lagos, FCT, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, and Delta, were already at the venue by Friday night.

Security was visibly tight, with an Armoured Personnel Carrier stationed at the entrance.

Adamawa PDP Chairman Hamza Madagali also visited the venue to assess readiness.

Sources within INEC confirmed that the commission would not monitor the convention, citing adherence to the FCT High Court ruling.

Although a press statement was initially prepared to clarify its position, it was later withdrawn.

Sule Lamido, speaking on Channels TV Politics Today, blamed the crisis on PDP governors, saying that he could not attend the convention without undermining the court order that protected his rights.

Lamido accused the governors of seeking a party they could control, while singling out Governor Seyi Makinde as the only one acting honorably.

Party chieftain Bode George dismissed claims of a crisis and defended the convention, accusing Lamido of missing the official form collection deadline.

Conversely, Wike called on the party to respect the Federal High Court ruling, emphasizing that an ex parte order from Ibadan could not override a substantive judgment.

The PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT) had set up a reconciliation committee, which recommended postponing the convention until all aggrieved parties were accommodated.

Despite the advice, the NWC and the PDP Governors’ Forum pressed ahead.

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki warned that proceeding under current conditions could irreparably damage the party and recommended forming an all-inclusive caretaker committee.

The party is operating under two rival factions, raising concerns about its stability ahead of the 2027 elections.

Governors Bala Mohammed, Makinde, and Muftwang accused Wike of destabilizing the party, while the NWC defended its disciplinary actions against some officers accused of taking instructions from Wike.

A BoT report highlighted deep mistrust between the governors and the NWC, citing cancelled state congresses, shifting loyalties, and ambitions for 2027 as major sources of conflict.

It urged adherence to party supremacy, constitutional discipline, and the formation of a caretaker committee, warning that conflicting court orders could prevent INEC from monitoring the convention.

Despite these warnings, the PDP went ahead with the Ibadan convention, leaving questions about its internal cohesion and the impact on the party’s 2027 election prospects.

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has dismissed a suit filed by the civil society group, Initiative for Freedom, Conflict Prevention and Social Integration, challenging President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

The suit sought to question Tinubu’s authority to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, as well as his appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as Sole Administrator of the state.

In March 2025, Tinubu had declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor and his deputy while appointing Ibas to manage the affairs of the state during the period.

The plaintiffs asked the court to declare the actions ultra vires, illegal, and inconsistent with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.

Ruling on the matter on Friday, Justice Muhammad Turaki held that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi because Governor Fubara was not a party to the case.

He described the suit as largely an academic exercise and declined to address the substantive issues.

Speaking after the hearing, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Amegua Lezina, said they would review the judgment to determine their next steps.

“The court’s decision was based solely on the fact that the governor was not joined in the suit. The merits were not considered. We will study the ruling and, if necessary, proceed to the Court of Appeal,” Lezina stated.

Meanwhile, the court adjourned a separate suit by the same group, which challenged the National Assembly’s ratification of Ibas’ appointment, to January 23, 2026, for judgment.

Another case by the organisation regarding the appointment of the Chairman and members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission was adjourned to December 5, 2025, for adoption of processes.

A large number of travellers in Ibadan were left stranded on Saturday after major bus terminals across Oyo State were shut down due to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention taking place in the city.

The two-day convention, already embroiled in legal disputes after two separate court rulings attempted to halt it, proceeded under the Umar Damagum-led faction, which relied on a counter-judgment from an Oyo State High Court permitting the event to go ahead.

When DAILY GAZETTE visited major inter-state transport hubs such as Iwo Road, Challenge, and Ojoo, all the terminals were locked, preventing weekend passengers from making trips to destinations like Osun, Kwara, and Niger states.

Saturdays are typically the busiest travel days, but the facilities remained inaccessible.

Transport operators told the newspaper that the closure likely originated from the leadership of the Park Management System (PMS), which Governor Seyi Makinde established following a leadership crisis in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

The NURTW is currently fighting to regain authority over the parks.

At Iwo Road, terminal workers and drivers could be seen wearing caps with “PDP convention” printed on them. Frustration was high among motorists who depend on daily income.

Kazeem, a commercial driver, expressed anger:

“So because politicians want to gather and talk, the whole city must suffer? What about those of us who survive on daily work?”

Another driver at the Ojoo terminal, Muri, said the managers closed the parks of their own accord to show support for the governor as host of the PDP convention.

The Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, venue of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2025 convention, is bubbling with activities.

Delegates from different states have converged on the stadium for the event.

Despite legal hurdle, the PDP had vowed not to halt its convention.

Below are some pictures from the venue:

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has announced that each of the state’s 255 political wards will receive ₦100 million in the 2026 draft budget, marking a historic move toward direct grassroots funding.

Speaking at a special town hall meeting for the public presentation of the budget on Friday, the governor explained that the decision was shaped by citizens’ feedback from last year’s consultations.

Many residents highlighted severe developmental gaps in rural communities, including the fact that 12 out of 23 Local Government Areas had not received even one kilometre of road construction in 12 years.

“The ₦100 million per ward allocation ensures that communities themselves identify, prioritize, and implement projects that matter most to them,” Sani said.

“This includes feeder roads, water supply schemes, health facilities, farm-to-market links, security infrastructure, and community economic programmes.”

The governor emphasized that decisions on how the funds are used will no longer be dictated from above.

He cited the water sector as an example, where budget allocations were increased from ₦10 million to ₦100 million following citizens’ demands, showing that community input directly shapes development priorities.

Sani also highlighted ongoing state projects, including extensive road construction across LGAs, many at 90–95% completion, such as: 24 km inter-community roads, 35 km in Sanga, 22.5 km in Soba, 24.7 km in Zangon Kataf and 14.2 km in Igabi.

These projects are set to complement the ward-level allocations and ensure equitable development.

Health and Agriculture Initiatives
According to the governor, citizen consultations have also guided investments in health, making Kaduna the only state in Nigeria to upgrade all 255 primary healthcare centres from level 1 to level 2, earning recognition as the best PHC system in the Northwest.

Renovation and equipping of 16 general hospitals are also aligned with ward-specific needs, with nine already completed.

On agriculture, wards with significant farming populations will receive targeted interventions funded by the ₦100 million allocation.

This complements ongoing initiatives such as the distribution of nearly 900 trucks of fertilizer and Kaduna’s recent $250 million agro-industrial investment deal, aimed at boosting market access, value addition, and rural incomes.

Kaduna’s skill development programs, currently enrolling 90,000 youths under the Federal Government’s TX training initiative, will also benefit from ward-level funding, enabling communities to sponsor vocational and digital skills programs.

Major transportation projects, including a planned BRT system and 44 km light rail, are expected to strengthen local economies, improve mobility, and enhance security coordination.

Governor Sani stressed that the philosophy behind the ₦100 million per ward is fairness, equity, and inclusion, emphasizing that development should reach every community, regardless of political affiliation, origin, or religion.

“The 2026 budget is your budget, and the ₦100 million is for the people to decide, not the government to dictate,” he said.