INEC’s Boycott Renders Ibadan Convention Invalid, Says Abia PDP | #NwokeukwuMascot

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The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for declining participation in what it described as the “ill-fated and legally unsustainable” Ibadan National Convention.

In a statement issued by the party’s Vice Chairman (Abia South) and Acting State Publicity Secretary, Enyinnaya Appolos, the Abia PDP, led by its State Chairman Elder Abraham Amah, said INEC’s refusal to attend the Ibadan gathering was a decisive affirmation of the rule of law and a clear acknowledgment of subsisting court judgments.

According to the party, the electoral umpire acted in strict compliance with the judgments of the Federal High Court in Abuja, as well as provisions of the Electoral Act and the PDP Constitution. By law, the party noted, the absence of INEC automatically invalidates any convention, rendering proceedings “procedurally defective and legally void.”

Appolos expressed deep concern over what he termed a blatant attempt to subvert due process by those behind the Ibadan meeting.

“We are troubled that the organizers chose to defy two valid and subsisting court judgments, relying instead on an ineffectual ex parte order that holds no legal weight over established judicial decisions,” he said.

The Abia PDP further argued that holding a national convention while several state congresses particularly in Anambra and Ebonyi remain outstanding, and despite explicit court orders restraining such an exercise, amounted to “a brazen assault on the rule of law.”

“Any actions or resolutions purportedly reached at the Ibadan gathering cannot stand the test of time nor withstand judicial scrutiny,” the statement read. “It is laughable that such an exercise proceeded in clear violation of the law.”

The party urged PDP members across the country to remain calm and committed to legally guided processes, noting that the issues surrounding the controversial convention are already before the Court of Appeal.

“As a law-abiding party, we place our trust in the judiciary,” the statement added. “We encourage all faithful members to allow the law to take its full and just course. Justice, ultimately, will prevail.”

The Abia PDP reaffirmed its confidence in the nation’s judicial system and reiterated its commitment to upholding the rule of law amid what it described as desperate attempts to derail due process within the party’s national structure.