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For the second time in two weeks ,the People’s Democratic Party has suffered another legal setback as a Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the party from holding its 2025 National Convention in Ibadan.‎‎

Justice Peter Lifu issued the fresh order Tuesday, restraining the PDP from proceeding with the convention scheduled for November 15 and 16.

The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from supervising, monitoring, or recognizing any outcome of that gathering.

‎‎The ruling followed a suit filed by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido.

Lamido, a founding member of the PDP, told the court he was denied the chance to purchase the chairmanship nomination form, effectively excluding him from the race.‎‎

Justice Lifu agreed, ruling that the PDP failed to comply with legal requirements for conventions, including publishing the timetable for members.

He stressed that due process must be strictly observed, warning that democracy itself is endangered when rules are ignored.‎‎

The judge further held that Lamido would suffer greater harm if unlawfully excluded, and noted that Lamido had undertaken to pay damages to the PDP should his suit later be deemed frivolous.‎‎This latest ruling mirrors an earlier decision.

On October 31, Justice James Omotosho of the same court issued similar orders, stopping INEC from recognizing the outcome of the convention if conducted.‎‎

Justice Omotosho ruled that the PDP failed to issue the mandatory 21‑day notice of meetings and congresses, which would have enabled INEC to carry out its statutory duty of monitoring. ‎‎

He warned that the party’s disregard for procedure placed the convention in jeopardy, and advised the PDP to comply with the law before proceeding with any election.

The European Union Agency for Asylum, estimated that more than 100,000 officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) are currently deployed to protect politicians and other very important persons (VIPs) rather than community policing and crime prevention.

In the report, the EU agency said that currently the NPF has about 371,800 officers serving a population of roughly 236.7 million people.

It said the country’s policing deficits are worsened by the diversion of a significant share of available personnel to VIP protection.

“Both recent sources and sources dating back as far as 2007 claimed that the NPF had an estimated strength of 371,800, serving a total population estimated in 2024 at 236,747,130,” the report said.

“The resulting shortage in police personnel was compounded by the fact that more than 100,000 police officers were assigned to the protection of politicians and VIPs, rather than to tasks serving the general population.”

The EU agency said manpower shortages, corruption, and limited resources have led to slow emergency response times and left many communities without adequate police presence.

The report also highlighted weak accountability mechanisms that enable police misconduct, including arbitrary arrests, extortion, and excessive use of force.

“With reliable accountability mechanisms lacking, there were reports of police officers engaging in misconduct, including arbitrary arrests, extortion of money and excessive use of violence,” the report added.

Tragedy struck in Owerri, Imo State, on Monday when a vehicle driven by operatives of a taskforce allegedly crushed a motorcyclist and his passenger to death near the Akachi Road area of the state capital.

Witnesses said the taskforce operatives had earlier impounded a vehicle for purported traffic violations. One of the eyewitnesses, who identified himself simply as Donald, stated that some members of the team entered the seized vehicle and drove off at high speed, during which they reportedly ran into the motorcycle conveying the two victims.

The impact of the collision caused severe injuries, leading to the immediate death of both the rider and his passenger. The scene drew a large crowd of shocked residents, with the bodies of the victims still at the location at the time of filing this report.

Witnesses alleged that the taskforce operatives fled the scene shortly after the incident.

Residents expressed anger over the development and called on the Imo State Government to disband the taskforce, accusing its members of highhandedness in previous operations.

“This is painful. Government needs to look into the activities of this taskforce before things get out of hand,” a trader at the scene said.

The taskforce was said to have been involved in a clash with traders at Toronto Junction in Owerri about two weeks ago, an incident that reportedly resulted in fatalities.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Henry Okoye, had not issued a statement on the incident as of the time this report was filed.