The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a fresh twist as members of the Wike/Anyanwu faction have petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, demanding disciplinary action against Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court.
The petitioners — Imo State PDP Chairman, Hon. Austine Nwachukwu, alongside Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna and Turnah Alabh George — accused Justice Akintola of judicial misconduct over an ex parte order that allowed the Umar Damagum-led faction to proceed with the party’s proposed National Convention scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Ibadan.
Justice Akintola, sitting in Ibadan, had granted the ex parte order in a case filed by a PDP chieftain, Folahan Malomo Adelabi, restraining the National Chairman, Umar Damagum, from suspending the convention. The case was adjourned till today to allow all parties to file necessary processes.
However, the petitioners argue that Justice Akintola’s decision directly contradicts an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, which on October 31, 2025, restrained the party from holding the convention and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise any outcome should it proceed.
In their petition dated November 5, 2025, and received by the NJC on November 6, the faction described Justice Akintola’s action as “judicial recklessness and impunity,” accusing him of sitting on appeal over a judgment of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.
They urged the NJC to investigate the matter and sanction Justice Akintola to preserve public confidence in the judiciary.
“This disturbing development not only threatens the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary but risks setting a dangerous precedent capable of eroding public confidence in the justice system,” the petition read.
The faction further called on the NJC to act promptly, citing similar disciplinary actions taken against judges in Rivers and Imo States in past cases of alleged judicial misconduct.
“The judiciary must remain the last hope of the common man, not a tool for political expediency,” they added.
As the PDP convention date draws near, tensions continue to rise within the opposition party, with legal and political battles threatening to further polarize its leadership structure.
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