Lawyers Warn PDP Might Miss 2027 Polls

Legal practitioners have warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) risks being shut out of the 2027 general elections unless it urgently resolves its lingering leadership crisis, a claim the party has dismissed as unfounded and politically motivated.

The lawyers, who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend, said the multiple court cases arising from the party’s internal leadership tussle could prevent it from conducting valid primaries and presenting candidates for the next general elections.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Abdul Balogun, said the party’s internal disarray poses a serious legal threat to its electoral participation, stressing that the absence of a legally constituted leadership would invalidate any primary election conducted by the party.

According to him, the PDP is already a divided house with no clear indication that the crisis would abate soon.

“Unless a proper leadership of the party is put in place, no primary can be held, and no candidate will emerge for elections in 2027. The earlier the crisis is resolved, the better for them, because if things remain the way they are, the party should count itself out of participating in the election,” he said.

Barrister Cornelius Adegbulu, a constitutional lawyer, also advised the party to abandon prolonged litigation and pursue internal reconciliation, warning that the legal battles could spell the end of the party that once controlled power at the centre.

He said resolving the crisis internally would be faster and more beneficial than endless court cases, adding that continued litigation may further weaken the party.

“An internal solution rather than litigation will help bring the crisis to an end and ensure lasting peace. If the party hopes to participate in the next general election, the cases in court should be withdrawn and the warring factions should come together and reach an amicable settlement,” Adegbulu said.

An Abuja-based lawyer and professor of law, Ayodele Idowu, said it is a settled principle of law that something cannot be built on nothing, noting that without a recognized leadership structure, the emergence of candidates would be legally impossible.

He added that the crisis has already triggered defections, warning that the instability is unhealthy for Nigeria’s democracy and could weaken opposition politics.

“Party members and supporters are already leaving. Nigerians should have alternative parties to choose from. With the crisis in the PDP, there would hardly have been opposition but for the emergence of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). If this crisis is not resolved, it may mark the end of the PDP if it fails to field a candidate in 2027,” he said.

However, the PDP has rejected claims that it may not participate in the 2027 elections. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ime Imemonng, described the reports as rumours deliberately spread to damage the party’s image.

Speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP Weekend, Imemonng said there is no legal or political barrier preventing the PDP from contesting the 2027 polls.

“I don’t know where this rumour is coming from. As far as I know, there has been no hindrance to our participation in the 2027 election,” he said.

He cited the party’s recent participation in local council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, noting that the list of PDP candidates submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been accepted and rectified.

Imemonng clarified that the removal of the party’s Ekiti State governorship candidate was not a reflection of the party’s eligibility but was linked to litigation over the conduct of the primary election.

According to him, the matter is currently before the Court of Appeal, and the affected candidate is awaiting the outcome.

The controversy follows a ruling by a Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, which nullified the PDP governorship primary that produced Dr. Wole Oluyede as candidate. The court held that the primary failed to comply with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, citing the failure to present an original and authentic list of statutory and ad hoc delegates. The court subsequently ordered the conduct of a fresh primary that must include all eligible candidates.