PDP National Convention: Wike’s loyalists petitions NJC as Akintola backs preparations

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new twist as a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) accusing Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court of alleged judicial misconduct for backing the convention.

In a petition dated November 5 2025, and acknowledged by the Office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria on November 6, 2025, the faction accused Justice Akintola of “judicial recklessness, impunity, and flagrant violation of established legal processes.”

The complaint stemmed from an ex parte order the judge granted on November 4, authorising the PDP to proceed with its planned national convention in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, despite an existing judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja that restrained the party from doing so.


The petitioners, Hon. Austine Nwachukwu, Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna, and Turnah Alabh George are members of the party who had earlier secured a Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025) on October 31, 2025, stopping the convention.

They argued that Justice Akintola’s decision amounted to “a brazen violation of judicial hierarchy,” saying he “effectively sat on appeal over the judgment of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.”


Addressing journalists on Monday, Nwachukwu and Nnanna described the development as “a disturbing trend that threatens the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary and risks eroding public confidence in the justice system.”

The petition read in part, “This disturbing development not only undermines the sanctity of the rule of law but also threatens the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary. If left unchecked, it could set a dangerous precedent where judicial officers become instruments of political expediency rather than impartial arbiters of justice.”

The PDP chieftains urged the NJC to act with urgency, citing similar disciplinary precedents in cases involving judicial misconduct in Rivers and Imo States.


“The NJC must reaffirm its commitment to discipline and impartiality by ensuring that errant judicial officers are held accountable without delay,” the petition stated.

Reiterating their faith in the leadership of the judiciary, the petitioners said the judiciary must remain the last hope of the common man, not “a willing tool for those seeking to subvert justice.”

They expressed confidence that the NJC’s prompt and transparent action would restore public trust and reinforce the principle that no one, no matter how highly placed, is above the law.