Why PDP convention is legal, stands – Sam Amadi

By Lateef Ibrahim

The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr Sam Amadi, has insisted that the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), convention remains valid and legally recognised despite earlier conflicting court rulings.
Speaking on Saturday during an interview with Arise News monitored in Abuja, Amadi said the most recent court order issued before the convention permitted the event to hold, rendering previous contradictory orders ineffective.
According to him, the controversy surrounding the party’s leadership crisis was fueled by what he described as the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), failure to act as a regulatory authority, as well as courts issuing “contradictory and unnecessary” ex parte orders.
He argued that the convention was backed by law, noting that the latest decision from the court supported its conduct.
“This convention has legalisation. If I recall, the latest decision that came in on Friday was in favour of the convention. So you can’t say it’s not legal.
“Unfortunately, we have courts authorising and counter-authorising actions, and that is the real problem,” he said.
Amadi stated that the situation highlighted a growing problem in Nigeria where political actors rush to secure favourable injunctions instead of allowing established procedures to play out.
Amadi criticised INEC for allegedly abandoning its quasi-judicial responsibilities by constantly deferring to the courts.
He explained that political parties were expected to file leadership documents with INEC, which should then verify and make determinations before judicial review becomes necessary.
He maintained that facts available point to the legitimacy of the current Board of Trustees (BoT), saying it had been functional for over three years and could not be replaced arbitrarily.
On claims that the Supreme Court forbids judicial intervention in party matters, Amadi clarified that the ruling only bars courts from selecting party leaders, not from reviewing whether parties obey their internal rules.
Responding to recent expulsions of some high-profile members, including Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose, he stressed the need for due process but questioned the loyalty of party figures allegedly working with rival political platforms.