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Hundreds of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continued to pour into Ibadan last night from different parts of the country as leaders of the Damagum faction of the party worked underground to save the planned National Convention from possible collapse.
Host Governor Seyi Makinde spent much of Thursday with former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido to persuade him to be part of the Ibadan gathering.
Lamido will boycott the convention.
Other likely absentees are Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas who is on his way to the All Progressives Congress (APC); Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara; former Senate President Bukola Saraki; Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike; and former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, among others.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday ordered suspension of the convention until Lamido is allowed to buy nomination form for election as national chairman of the party.
Justice Peter Lifu, in a judgment in a suit filed by the former governor, also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from supervising, monitoring or recognising the outcome of any convention the party would hold without the inclusion of Lamido, as a contestant.
However, a counter ruling came from an Oyo State High Court giving the party the nod to proceed with the meeting, and an order for INEC to monitor and recognise the convention.
Sources at the national headquarters of the commission told The Nation last night that they were studying the situation.
The Lekan Salami Stadium Adamasingba, Ibadan venue of the convention was agog last night with party faithful dancing and singing while officials were giving finishing touches to the sitting, lighting and public address arrangement and security.
The stadium has been given a new look with white, red and green colors of the umbrella party adorning the main bowl.
Several banners with the inscription ‘Seyi Makinde for president’ were placed in and around the stadium.
The party, in a series of posts on X, said it was going ahead with the convention.
It posted video recordings of its members drumming, singing and dancing at the stadium.
“With the venue fully aglow and preparations hitting fever pitch, the stage is set for a convention that would redefine the PDP’s trajectory toward 2027,” the PDP wrote in a one of the posts.
The Oyo State Police Command pledged to ensure a hitch-free convention.Party sources expressed deep concerns last night over the conflicting court rulings.
Some feared that there was no guarantee that decisions taken at the convention would stand the test of time as they could be overturned by the a higher court.
By last night, delegates from Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Kwara, Delta, Adamawa, Zamfara, Edo, Bayelsa and Cross River had arrived in Ibadan and lodged in hotels across the city.
Others were said to be on their way.
Dozens of luxury buses branded in the PDP Convention colours were parked at the Government House Ibadan.
They will be deployed to convey delegates from their various hotels to the venue.
