THIS DAWN — Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, the Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, and a host of others, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, met in Ibadan ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Convention coming up this weekend.
Chief Obasanjo was in Ibadan to commissions the Ibadan Mega Bus Terminal recently completed by the Governor Makinde administration.
Following the inauguration, Obasanjo, Peter Obi, Makinde, and others convened at the Government House.
Details of the meeting has yet to be made public as at late Thursday.
PDP National Convention
The PDP has scheduled its 2025 National Convention for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) insist the convention will go ahead as planned, rejecting claims of postponement.
Meanwhile, a faction within the PDP supported by the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and led by Acting National Chairman Alhaji Abdulrahman Muhammed said they will boycott the convention.
They label it illegal and unconstitutional, citing court rulings that purportedly restrain the process. The Guardian Nigeria.
Legal & procedural tug-of-war
A Federal High Court in Abuja had issued an order (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025) restraining the convention.
The Abdulrahman faction says this ruling takes precedence and that the party should not proceed.
On the other hand, an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has extended an interim order allowing the convention to proceed.
Justice Ladiran Akintola ordered that preparations and proceedings be shielded from interference.
The PDP leadership has responded by telling members and the public to ignore what they call “misleading claims” and alleged interference efforts by the ruling party.
Key stakes & implications
The disagreement signals a deepening internal crisis inside the PDP, with competing power centres and governance questions around valid court orders, constitutional organs of the party, and the role of the National Working Committee vs. the Board of Trustees (BoT).
With the convention approaching swiftly, who controls the delegate lists, who presides over the meeting, and how outcomes are recognized will matter not just for the party’s internal leadership but its future direction ahead of upcoming elections.
The factional split raises concerns that the party might enter 2027 in a weakened state — either with legitimacy questions or a fractured leadership.
As one BoT member put it: the Ibadan event “holds no binding effect” if the correct legal processes are not followed.
What to watch
- Whether the convention goes ahead on the scheduled dates — Nov 15-16 — as the PDP leadership insists.
- Which legal ruling ultimately prevails: the Federal High Court in Abuja or the Oyo State High Court.
- How many delegates actually show up and whether the Abdulrahman-Wike faction participates or stays away.
- What leadership outcomes emerge: New Chair, other national officers, possible changes in direction.
- The reaction of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and whether it recognises any outcome of the convention.
Impacts on the PDP’s image and capacity
A successful convention could consolidate power. A botched event could deepen internal fragmentation.
The Ibadan convention weekend is shaping up as a high-stakes rendezvous for the PDP.
It could solidify leadership ahead of 2027 or deepen divisions and leave the party vulnerable.
The legal wrangling and internal alignments will likely determine which scenario plays out.
