Contempt proceedings have commenced against individuals involved in the controversial Ibadan Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention, following fresh legal filings triggered by what stakeholders describe as a “brazen defiance of subsisting court orders” and a “calculated attempt to undermine constitutional order within the party.” The development marks a dramatic escalation in the crisis rocking the PDP, as litigants insist that proceeding with the convention despite multiple injunctions amounts to judicial contempt and could attract severe legal consequences.
According to court documents and legal representatives familiar with the matter, the contempt charges target key organisers and actors who allegedly disregarded active court processes restraining the Damagun-led NWC from convening or supervising any national convention until substantive issues before the Federal High Court are fully resolved. Lawyers involved in the case argue that the actions of those behind the Ibadan convention were not merely administrative missteps but an intentional violation of the rule of law, “capable of corrupting the integrity of internal party democracy and setting a dangerous precedent for national political conduct.”
Political observers note that the move signals a significant pushback from stakeholders who have repeatedly warned that the Ibadan convention lacked legal foundation, INEC backing, internal consensus, and constitutional validity warnings that were later amplified by the report of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Reconciliation Committee. The committee’s report highlighted irregularities in the convention process, unresolved legal disputes, and the collapse of critical consultations, further justifying calls for strict enforcement of judicial directives. The initiation of contempt proceedings is therefore seen as both a legal necessity and a political statement aimed at restoring discipline and reasserting the supremacy of due process.
Diplomatic voices within the party are now urging calm, caution, and strict adherence to constitutional order as the contempt case progresses. Senior party leaders warn that failure to respect court orders not only undermines the party’s credibility but could endanger future electoral participation if the judiciary or INEC nullifies decisions emanating from an illegal convention. As the legal battle unfolds, all eyes are on the courts, where the outcomes of the contempt proceedings may determine not only the fate of those involved but also the direction, unity, and survival of the PDP itself in the months ahead.
