The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Monday, upheld the decisions of the Federal High Court in Abuja invalidating the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, Oyo State, between November 15 and 16, 2025.
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In its judgment, a three-member panel of the court barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the convention, including the emergence of Tanimu Turaki’s leadership of the party.
The appellate court delivered the judgment with members of the opposition from both divides present in court.
In a unanimous judgment, the three-member panel of the appellate court resolved the four issues for determination against the PDP.
The court held that the appeal by the PDP was without merit and that the Federal High Court was right to have delivered the October 31 judgment and granted all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.
The court also awarded N2 million as cost against the appellants comprising Mr Turaki and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party for filing a frivolous appeal.
The Court of Appeal faulted the PDP’s claim that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case on the grounds that the issues involved were solely the internal affairs of the party.
The panel said the appellants could not “repackage a clear violation of the party constitution and that of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as an internal party affair.”
The court also held that the plaintiffs had the locus standi (the right) to institute the suit to protect their democratic rights and that the PDP was not denied fair hearing, as it claimed in its appeal.
Delivering the lead judgment of the Court of Appeal on Monday, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam held that the PDP violated constitutional provisions required before such a convention could become valid.
He said no valid notice of the convention was served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by law.
The judge held that the case of the aggrieved PDP members who instituted the suit against the party was not about internal party affairs as erroneously argued.
He said they rather filed the suit to compel INEC to comply with its statutory functions in relation to party conventions.
The appellate court also noted that valid congresses were not held in more than 14 states as required by law before the 2025 convention was conducted.
Having failed to comply with the relevant laws, the court said the Federal High Court was right in assuming jurisdiction and granting a restraining order against INEC from accepting or recognising the outcome of the PDP 2025 national convention.
“Non-compliance with the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022 and party constitution and guidelines are at the heart of democratic governance, and compliance must be strictly enforced in the interest of democracy,” the judge said.
Apart from electing the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), the convention also suspended some allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over alleged anti-party activities.
Those suspended included the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN. Also suspended were Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, and the National Organising Secretary, Umaru Bature.
The Court of Appeal affirmed the suspension of these officials, validating the internal disciplinary processes initiated by the PDP and emphasising the supremacy of the party constitution in managing its administrative affairs.
There are nine appeals altogether challenging the validity of the Ibadan convention.
Some PDP leaders from both sides were present in court for the judgment.
Our correspondent sighted the group led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki and the other led by Abdulrahman Mohammed in court.
In a notable development, the National Secretary of the Mohammed-led National Working Committee, Samuel Anyanwu, was seen exchanging pleasantries with Turaki despite being on opposing sides of the PDP crisis.
The appeals stemmed mainly from separate decisions handed down last year by two Federal High Court judges in Abuja — James Omotosho and Peter Lifu. There were also counter-decisions from the Oyo State High Court and, more recently, the Federal High Court in Ibadan, regarding the disputed convention.
On October 31, 2025, the Federal High Court, Abuja, halted the PDP national convention scheduled to be held in Ibadan. The court gave the ruling in a suit filed by some aggrieved members of PDP who were against the convention on the grounds of violation of the Nigerian Constitution, INEC guidelines and the PDP constitution.
In agreement with the applicants, Justice Omotosho ruled that the planned national convention could not be validly held because the party had not first conducted valid state congresses. He stopped the convention and barred INEC from supervising it.
Days later, another judge of the High Court in Ibadan directed the PDP and its then national chairman to proceed with the convention and asked INEC to monitor it.
But on November 11, 2025, another Federal High Court judge in Abuja, Peter Lifu, again restrained the PDP from holding the convention. The order came in a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, who argued that he was denied the opportunity to purchase nomination forms to contest for the party’s national chairmanship.
Despite the two orders from the Federal High Court in Abuja blocking the convention, the organisers proceeded with the exercise on between November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, where delegates elected a new NWC now headed by Mr Turaki.
On December 22, 2025, INEC rejected requests by the Turaki-led NWC for recognition.
INEC said it could not recognise the team as the party’s NWC in the face of the rulings of the Federal High Court in Abuja in October and November 2025, barring it from giving effect to the outcome of the Ibadan convention.
Following this, the Turaki-led faction filed a suit seeking recognition of the Ibadan convention and validation of the elected NWC. But the Federal High Court in Ibadan instead nullified the convention late last month.
The judge ruled that the convention was held in “flagrant disobedience” to existing judgments, and that the caretaker committee remained the recognised leadership until a valid convention was held.
Monday’s judgment is the first decisive pronouncement of an appellate court on the controversial convention, after months of conflicting decisions at the High Court level in Abuja and Ibadan.
Aggrieved sides are expected to appeal against the judgment at the Supreme Court, which will eventually give the final decision that will lay the dispute to rest.
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