By Peter Dansu The crisis rocking the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened this week as the State Chairman, ...
By Peter Dansu
The crisis rocking the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened this week as the State Chairman, Hon. Philip Olabode Aivoji, formally petitioned the National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, over what he described as an “illegal and unconstitutional” state congress recently held in the state.
In a strongly worded letter dated September 30, 2025, and obtained by Badagry Today, Aivoji, through his lawyer, Abayomi Noah Medemaku of Noble Anchor Solicitors, detailed alleged constitutional breaches and irregularities that, according to him, render the September 27th Lagos PDP State Congress null and void.
The petition faulted the exercise on several grounds, including the absence of the state chairman as the mandated Returning Officer, failure to set up a Screening and Appeal Committee as provided in the PDP Constitution and Election Guidelines, and the non-transmission of ward and local government congress results to the state secretariat.
Quoting relevant sections of the PDP Constitution and Election Guidelines, Aivoji warned that any process emanating from the purported congress could collapse if subjected to legal scrutiny. He cautioned that leaving the irregularities unresolved could jeopardize PDP’s chances in Lagos State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Sir, there were too many constitutional and unlawful irregularities embedded in the hastily and illegally conducted 27/9/2025 State Congress, which if faced with legal fireworks, will fall flat. If the anomaly is not corrected, PDP would have laid a solid foundation for failure in 2027, as any primary conducted by the purported State Executive would amount to a nullity,” the letter read in part.
Aivoji further reminded the party leadership of a subsisting Federal High Court judgment (suit no: FHC/L/CS/654/2022) restraining Dr. Fawole Amos Alabi and others from interfering with the tenure of the current Lagos PDP executive led by him.
Speaking earlier at a press conference in Ikeja, the Lagos PDP Chairman distanced himself and the state executive from the exercise, insisting that the congress was not sanctioned by the National Working Committee (NWC).
According to him, the four-year tenure of the current State Executive Committee remains valid until March 2026, making any congress before then both premature and unlawful. He also accused the Lagos PDP Elders’ Forum of usurping statutory powers by setting up their own screening committee, allegedly favouring aspirants loyal to Chief Bode George.
Aivoji expressed disappointment that the National Organising Secretary, Hon. Bature, failed to communicate the NWC’s directive that Lagos be excluded from the list of states scheduled for congresses, thereby creating confusion that factions exploited.
He also faulted Mr. Moyegun, the Director of Organisation and Mobilisation, for failing to notify the Lagos office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about the congress cancellation, which further complicated matters.
Weeks after the ward and LGA congresses, Aivoji revealed, the state exco has not received duplicate copies of results, a constitutional requirement for validation of delegates.
“As it stands, the whole process is riddled with illegality. We will not accept it. We are determined to protect the integrity of our party in Lagos, and if necessary, we will seek legal redress,” he declared.
The development has widened the cracks within the Lagos PDP, already battling factional control and internal distrust. If unresolved, analysts warn, the crisis could weaken the opposition party further in the state as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify.
For now, the ball is in the court of the national leadership of the PDP to either wade into the matter and order a fresh congress or risk a full-blown legal battle that could determine the legitimacy of its Lagos State executive.
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