Despite a swirl of conflicting court pronouncements threatening to derail the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) planned national convention, the city of Ibadan, Oyo State, has continued to fill up with delegates and senior party figures, signalling that preparations for Saturday’s event remain firmly on course.
By Thursday, the PDP National Vice Chairman (South-West), Kamorudeen Ajisafe, confirmed that the turnout from across the country had already met the constitutional benchmark required to proceed with the convention.
“We have secured the participation of delegates from no fewer than two-thirds of the states,” Ajisafe told The Punch, stressing that the threshold satisfies the party’s rules for a valid national gathering.
According to him, “Delegates began arriving as early as Wednesday. We have state chairmen, stakeholders, and representatives from across the country already on ground. Even if all 36 states do not make it, two-thirds is more than enough.”
Two members of the party from the Federal Capital Territory also said they were in Ibadan by midday on Wednesday, further confirming the growing influx.
Conflicting Court Orders, But Party Leaders Unshaken
The lead-up to the November 15 and 16 convention has been dogged by a string of contradictory injunctions issued by courts in Abuja and Ibadan. But Ajisafe insisted the legal back-and-forth does not invalidate the event.
“When courts of equal jurisdiction issue conflicting rulings, none of them becomes binding,” he explained. “Such decisions are merely persuasive until a superior court clarifies the matter. Until then, the convention goes on.”
He maintained that only the appellate court could ultimately determine the legitimacy of the process.
INEC, Security Agencies Expected On Ground
Ajisafe also dispelled rumours that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) might boycott the convention due to the legal disputes.
“INEC will attend,” he said confidently. “We complied with every requirement of the Electoral Act. We issued the mandatory 21-day notice and held our NEC meeting afterwards. Nothing is out of order.”
When asked about security arrangements, he noted that law-enforcement agencies were aware of their constitutional duties and were expected to provide safety and order throughout the exercise.
“They may come, they may not,” he said, “but they are obligated to secure lives, even at protests. For an event of this magnitude, they know their responsibilities.”
Saraki’s Caretaker Proposal Rejected
Reacting to former Senate President Bukola Saraki’s suggestion that a caretaker committee be set up to steer the party through the ongoing disputes, Ajisafe cautioned that such a move could worsen internal instability.
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“Forming a caretaker committee now would only deepen the crisis,” he argued. “If anything, the convention itself should decide whether that option is necessary going forward.”
With the stakes rising and legal tensions unresolved, the PDP appears determined to push ahead — making Saturday’s convention a decisive moment for a party grappling with both internal strife and the pressure to present a united front ahead of future political contests.
