On November 4, 2025, two high-stakes political dramas unfolded on opposite sides of the Atlantic, highlighting the growing tension and polarization that now define judicial and party politics in both the United States and Nigeria. In Pennsylvania, voters faced a consequential decision: whether to retain a Democratic majority on the state’s Supreme Court, a body that has become central to battles over voting rights, redistricting, and election laws in one of America’s most pivotal swing states. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, a legal tug-of-war erupted over the fate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) national convention, with conflicting court orders threatening to deepen internal divisions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In Pennsylvania, the retention election for Supreme Court justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht was anything but routine. Traditionally, such elections have flown under the radar, but this year, the stakes were dramatically higher. The court’s current 5-2 Democratic majority has played a decisive role in shaping the state’s political landscape, making landmark rulings on gerrymandering and vote-by-mail laws that have reverberated nationally. If even one of the justices lost their seat, the Democratic majority would hold, but the defeat of all three could plunge the court into a 2-2 deadlock. Such a stalemate could leave lower court decisions in place and paralyze the court’s ability to resolve election disputes through the critical 2026 midterm elections.
The campaign to retain or oust the justices shattered records for a Pennsylvania retention race, with spending projected to top $15 million. While this figure paled in comparison to the $100 million spent on a Wisconsin Supreme Court contest earlier in 2025, it underscored the intense interest and high stakes in Pennsylvania’s judicial politics, as reported by the Associated Press. Democrats, with support from Governor Josh Shapiro, rallied to defend the incumbents, emphasizing their records on abortion rights, union protections, and voting access. They warned that a deadlocked court could jeopardize key legal precedents and leave the state vulnerable to partisan gridlock.
Republicans, for their part, mounted a late but vigorous campaign to unseat the justices. Flyers and television ads urged voters to "defend Democracy" and argued that "10 years on the court is enough." The GOP also criticized the court’s 2021 decision to overturn Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction, framing it as a failure to "protect women and children," and decried the justices’ role in striking down Republican-drawn congressional maps, claiming it tipped the balance in favor of Democrats.
The contest drew national attention when former President Donald Trump took to social media on November 3, 2025, urging Pennsylvanians to "bring back the Rule of Law, and stand up for the Constitution" by rejecting what he called "three Radical Democrat Supreme Court Justices." Trump accused the justices of "unlawfully gerrymandered your Congressional maps, which led to my corrupt Impeachment(s)." In a swift response, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro fired back, declaring that Trump had "zero credibility when it comes to the rule of law" after he "tried to throw out Pennsylvanians’ votes and overturn the 2020 election" and "pardoned the people who assaulted law enforcement" during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Underlying the fierce rhetoric was a court that has repeatedly stepped in to resolve political impasses in Harrisburg. In 2018, the justices invalidated a Republican-drawn congressional map as an unconstitutional gerrymander, and in 2022, they again imposed new district boundaries after lawmakers deadlocked. The court also rebuffed GOP efforts to overturn Pennsylvania’s expansive vote-by-mail law, a flashpoint in the aftermath of Trump’s 2020 loss to Joe Biden. With the specter of further election disputes looming in 2026, the outcome of the retention election was seen as critical for both parties.
Across the Atlantic, Nigeria’s PDP was embroiled in its own legal and political crisis. On November 3, 2025, a High Court in Oyo State ordered the party and its National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to proceed with a long-delayed national convention scheduled for November 15-16 in Ibadan. The ruling, delivered by Justice A.L. Akintola, granted an ex parte application by PDP chieftain Folahan Malomo Adelabi, restraining party leaders from obstructing preparations for the convention. The event is intended to elect new national officers and resolve contentious zoning and internal disputes ahead of the 2027 elections.
Yet this order directly contradicted a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja issued just days earlier, on October 31, 2025, which halted the same convention over alleged breaches of the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act, and guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Abuja suit was filed by PDP members aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, who has been at the center of the party’s factional battles. They argued that the convention violated internal rules, particularly regarding the rotation of the national chairmanship to the North Central zone, and demanded resolution of disputed congresses in several states.
The Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) was undeterred, vowing to press ahead with the convention despite the federal injunction. PDP spokesperson Debo Ologunagba described the Abuja ruling as an "assault on democracy" and announced plans to appeal, insisting the party’s internal processes were lawful. The national convention, originally slated for August but postponed to November amid intensifying factional strife, has become a focal point for the party’s struggle to present a united front. Recent weeks saw the Damagum faction suspend National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and three other NWC members for alleged anti-party activities, prompting retaliatory suspensions and deepening the schism.
High-profile defections, including those of Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri and Enugu Governor Peter Mbah, have further weakened party cohesion. On social media, PDP chieftain Umar Sani proclaimed that the convention remains "unstoppable," dismissing opponents as "idiots" wishing for the party’s demise. Legal experts warn that the dueling court orders could trigger parallel conventions or further litigation, complicating the PDP’s efforts to unify ahead of the 2027 elections. The convention is expected to ratify candidates for key positions, including the national chairmanship, amid growing demands for zoning to the North Central region. Failure to hold a credible event could hand a strategic advantage to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
INEC has yet to comment on the Oyo court’s ruling but has previously emphasized the importance of compliance with electoral laws for all party activities. Meanwhile, the PDP’s Board of Trustees has called for calm and unity, dismissing claims of forgery regarding convention notices as "baseless." As Nigeria’s opposition party teeters on the edge of further fragmentation, the outcome of the November convention may well determine its viability as a national force in the years ahead.
Both Pennsylvania and Nigeria now stand at critical crossroads, their political futures shaped by courtrooms as much as by campaign trails. As legal battles rage and factions vie for control, the coming weeks promise to reveal whether these institutions can withstand the pressures of polarization—or whether stalemate and division will define the next chapter.
