PDP Heads to Supreme Court After Appeal Court Voids Ibadan Convention

The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Monday as the faction led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), announced plans to challenge a ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja that invalidated the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The appellate court upheld earlier decisions of the Federal High Court which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the November 15, 2025 convention where Turaki and members of the party’s National Working Committee were elected for a four-year tenure.

Reacting to the judgment, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the party had begun consultations with key stakeholders and would immediately file an appeal at the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He expressed optimism that the apex court would provide a final resolution to the dispute, which has split the party for months.

“The operationalisation of the judgment will create serious hardship for party members,” Ememobong said in a statement, adding that the party remained determined to defend what it described as its constitutional right to manage its internal affairs.

However, the camp aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, called for reconciliation within the party ahead of a separate national convention earlier scheduled for March 29 and 30, 2026.

Court Ruling and Legal Arguments

In its unanimous ruling delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, the Court of Appeal dismissed Turaki’s challenge to the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

The appellate court ruled that the lower court was right to hear the case and rejected the argument that the dispute was purely an internal matter of the party.

According to the panel, the PDP failed to comply with statutory and constitutional provisions governing the conduct of national conventions. The judges noted that the party did not provide INEC with the mandatory notice required by law before the convention and also failed to conduct valid congresses in several states.

The court emphasised that adherence to the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2022 was essential for democratic governance and must be strictly enforced.

In addition, the court upheld the suspension of the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), and ordered the appellants to pay N2 million in costs.

Roots of the PDP Leadership Crisis

The legal battle is the latest chapter in a protracted leadership dispute that erupted in late 2025 following the expiration of the tenure of the party’s former acting national chairman, Umar Damagum.

PDP governors had earlier endorsed the Ibadan convention that produced Turaki and other national officers. However, a rival faction backed by Wike rejected the process and established a caretaker committee led by Mohammed Abdulrahman as acting national chairman.

The dispute soon escalated into physical confrontations at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza in Abuja. Following clashes between supporters of the two factions in November 2025, the Nigeria Police Force sealed the building, effectively shutting down the party’s administrative headquarters.

Both camps later sought recognition from INEC, but the electoral body declined to acknowledge either faction pending the outcome of court cases.

Implications for the Opposition

Political analysts say the ongoing crisis could weaken the PDP’s ability to function as Nigeria’s leading opposition party if the dispute persists.

The courts also ruled that the party acted in defiance of an earlier order directing it to allow former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, to contest the chairmanship position at the convention.

Turaki, speaking shortly after the ruling, maintained that the judiciary should not interfere in the internal administration of political parties, arguing that such matters were political rather than legal.

With the case now heading to the Supreme Court, the final outcome could determine not only the legitimacy of the party’s leadership but also the direction of the PDP as it prepares for future electoral contests.