The Supreme Court on Thursday nullified the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025.
In a split decision delivered by a five-member panel, three justices held that the appeal filed by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction lacked merit and upheld the earlier rulings of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal against the conduct of the convention.
Delivering the lead judgment in appeal number SC/CV/164/2026, Justice Stephen Adah ruled that the appellants violated a subsisting order of the Federal High Court which restrained them from proceeding with the convention.
The apex court subsequently dismissed both the appeal and cross-appeals, directing all parties to bear their respective costs.
The court held that the disobedience of the earlier court order was not in dispute.
It also agreed with the findings of the lower courts that the PDP faction abused judicial processes by allegedly obtaining a conflicting order from a court of coordinate jurisdiction in Ibadan after an initial restraining order had been issued.
Justice Adah noted that the lower courts were right in relying on Sections 221, 222, and 229 of the 1999 Constitution, stressing that political parties must strictly comply with constitutional provisions, electoral regulations, and valid court orders in the conduct of their internal affairs.
The appeal challenged the March 9 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed the earlier Federal High Court decision nullifying the convention and restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising its outcome.
The Supreme Court had reserved judgment in the case after hearing arguments on April 22.
More to come…
