By Ayo Kehinde
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that its internal leadership battle is far from over following judgments delivered by the Court of Appeal on cases arising from previous Federal High Court rulings.
The Appellate court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Ambi-Usi Danjuma, upheld the suspension of key party officials, including the National Legal Adviser, Barr. Kamaldeen Ajibade, the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Organising Secretary, Umaru Bature.
The court also affirmed the rulings of Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that voided the National convention of the party held in Ibadan, the Ayo State capital on November 15 and 16, 2025. Additionally, the appeal against interlocutory orders delivered by Justice Abdulmalik was dismissed.
Reacting to the judgment, the party in a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, expressed disappointment, describing the operationalization of the ruling as likely to cause hardship for party members.
“To avert this, while we are consulting with critical organs of our party on the way forward, we have also instructed our lawyers to immediately take legal steps to appeal the same to the Supreme Court — being the apex court in the land; to conclusively adjudicate on this matter,” Ememobong stated.
He expressed optimism that the apex court would expeditiously resolve the matter in the interest of democracy.
The PDP leadership assured members that they should stand firm, noting that the battle to reclaim control of the party from what it described as “government agents masquerading as opposition leaders” remains ongoing.
“We urge our members to stand firm, trusting that soon this battle will be over and we shall be more than conquerors,” Ememobong added.
Meanwhile, party members across the country have been urged to maintain calm and unity as the legal processes continue.
The PDP leadership has emphasized that internal party discipline is crucial for maintaining cohesion, particularly in the lead-up to elections, and that compliance with the party constitution remains non-negotiable.
Ememobong reiterated that the party will continue to pursue all legal avenues to protect the rights of its members while ensuring that the organizational structure of the PDP remains functional.
“This is a battle to rescue our party, and we are determined to fight it and win,” he concluded.
