Appeal Court Upholds PDP Ibadan Convention Nullification

Abuja – The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has upheld the Federal High Court judgement stopping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The court consolidated all nine appeals emanating from the controversial convention and delivered a unanimous ruling dismissing them in their entirety.

A three-member panel, chaired by Justice Mohammed Ambi-Usi Danjuma, with Hon. Justices Uchechukwu Onyemenam and Muhammed Mustapha as members, handed down the verdict on Monday, awarding a cost of N2 million against the appellants.

The appellate court affirmed the October 31, 2025, decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, which had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the PDP’s national convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Ibadan.

As previously reported by NaijaChoice News, the Federal High Court had barred INEC from validating the results of the exercise, which produced Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN (a former Minister of Special Duties) as National Chairman and other officers aligned with the faction backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

In its judgment, the Court of Appeal held that where a political party fails or refuses to conduct its congresses or conventions in accordance with its own constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act, such matters can no longer be regarded as purely internal affairs of the party. Instead, they become subject to judicial scrutiny.

The court emphasised that any congress or convention conducted in violation of the party’s constitution and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act cannot stand in the eyes of the law, as such processes undermine both internal party democracy and the legal framework governing political parties.

The ruling effectively nullifies the Ibadan convention and the Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) that emerged from it, dealing a major blow to one faction amid the PDP’s prolonged leadership crisis.

The appeals were filed by the Turaki-led faction challenging the jurisdiction of the lower court and seeking to validate the Ibadan exercise. The court, however, agreed with arguments that the PDP failed to hold the mandatory ward, local government, and state congresses before proceeding to the national convention, rendering the entire process illegal.

This latest verdict deepens the uncertainty within Nigeria’s main opposition party barely a year to the 2027 general elections. It leaves the party’s leadership structure in limbo, with the Damagum-led caretaker committee (aligned to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike) appearing to retain the upper hand for now.

The PDP has been embroiled in factional battles since the 2023 general elections, with parallel structures, suspensions, and court cases involving key figures across the country.

Party stakeholders are now expected to reconvene urgently as the fresh ruling bars INEC from recognising any outcome from the Ibadan convention.

Further reactions from the PDP national secretariat and the affected factions are still being awaited.