By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Abayomi Manoah and PDP |
Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is grappling with a profound internal crisis that legal experts and party stalwarts warn could lead to an unprecedented electoral disaster, barring the party from fielding any candidates in the 2027 polls.
The alarm was raised in a damning letter dated September 30, 2025, addressed to the PDP National Chairman in Abuja and signed by Medemaku Abayomi Noah, a prominent party chieftain and the 2025 PDP chairmanship candidate for Badagry Local Government.
The document meticulously outlines a series of alleged constitutional breaches during a purported State Congress held on September 27, 2025, painting a picture of a process so flawed that it is deemed "a nullity" and "incurably bad."
At the heart of the controversy is a direct violation of the party's own constitution. Medemaku’s letter quotes Section 25 (1) of the PDP Constitution, which unequivocally states, "There shall be a State Party Congress which shall consist of-(a) The State Chairman, who shall be the Chairman."
According to the complainant, this fundamental provision was ignored. "This provision was clearly violated in the purported State Congress held on 27/9/2025," the letter states, suggesting the congress lacked legitimate leadership from its inception.
Further deepening the crisis are allegations that mandatory procedures for screening aspirants were completely sidestepped. The party's Election Guidelines require the National Executive Committee (NEC) to set up both a Screening Committee and a Screening Appeal Committee for State Executive positions.
"The said committees were not set up to the knowledge of the State Executives, neither was the result of the Screening Committee nor Screening Appeal Committee announced or displayed at the Party State Secretariat as required," the letter reveals, highlighting a critical failure in the pre-congress process.
Perhaps the most glaring irregularity, as presented in the document, is the absence of a Returning Officer for the congress. The party's guideline, under Article 8(F), explicitly designates the State Chairman as the Returning Officer for a State Congress.
"Thus, in the purported State Congress conducted on 27/9/2025, there was no Returning Officer, which further invalidates the whole process," Medemaku argues. This role is crucial for officially announcing and certifying election results, a step that was allegedly missing.
The letter also points to a cascading effect from earlier congresses. It claims that the "Blue Copies" of results from the Ward and Local Government Area (LGA) congresses were never transmitted to the State Secretariat.
This failure, he contends, means there was no authenticated list of delegates for the State Congress, directly contravening Articles 2.7 and 3.5 of the Election Guidelines and rendering the entire delegate-based election illegitimate.
Medemaku and his legal advisors are convinced that the congress cannot withstand judicial scrutiny. "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 fire-works, will fall flat, with face downward," the letter warns.
The communique invokes a powerful legal principle to drive home its point, quoting the Latin maxim, "*Ex nihilo nihil fit*" – meaning "from nothing, nothing comes." This sets the stage for the letter's most critical warning.
The letter presents a dire prediction for the party's future in Lagos if the anomaly is not corrected. "If the anomaly in this purported State Congress is not corrected and rectified, PDP would have laid a very solid foundation for failure in 2027 General Election," it states.
The consequence is stark and unambiguous: "Any primary conducted by the purported State Executive of 27/9/2025, would amount to a nullity, thus PDP Lagos State would definitely not have valid candidates in the 2027 General Election."
To fortify their legal argument, the writers cite the revered English judge, Lord Denning: "If an act is void, then it is in law a nullity... You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stay there. It will collapse."
This citation underscores their belief that the congress is not just flawed but legally non-existent, and any action taken by the executives emerging from it would be invalid.
The letter concludes with a direct appeal and a seven-day ultimatum to the national leadership. "We crave your Excellency's indulgence and wisdom to convey the necessary organ of the Party to declare the said purported State Congress... a nullity, and a new State Congress be scheduled."