The judgment effectively ends the challenge to the faction of the party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The Supreme Court on Thursday laid to rest the leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), voiding the party’s convention held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in November last year, and the emergence of Kabir Turaki-led rival national working committee.
The court pronounced the convention invalid in separate judgments on two related appeals regarding the internal affairs of the party.
The first was an appeal filed by former Jigsaw State Governor Sule Lamido challenging the party’s refusal to issue him a nomination form, which prevented him from contesting for a leadership position of the party.
The second matter sought a judicial recognition of the outcomes of the 2025 Ibadan convention, including the host party leaders elected at the meeting.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeal’s decision in a 3-2 split judgement in both appeals.
The majority decisions voided the convention for being held in violating of subsisting court orders.
The judgements effectively end the challenge to the faction of the party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The Wike group held its convention in March, re-electing Abdulrahman Mohammed and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Delivering the lead majority judgement on the appeal by the Turaki-led faction, Chioma Nwosu-Iheme said, “Parties must obey court orders whether they favour them or not.”
She condemned some judges who use their courts for mischief and some lawyers who do not live up to their responsibilities.
She warned that if this continues, “we will be heading for doomsday.”
“We will not fold our hands to this,” she said.
She held that the parties had no reason to seek judgement in any court following the initial restraining order.
She said the Ibadan convention flagrantly disobeyed the order by Judge James Omotosho.of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“They desperately and brazenly went to another court to forum-shop.
“The convention is a product of the disobedience of the court. The convention is condemned and nullified.
“The appeal is dismissed, the cross-appeal is also dismissed, and I make no order as to costs,” the Supreme Court justice ruled.
Both Justices Stephen Adah and Lawal Garba agreed with the lead judgement.
This judgement upheld the lower courts’ decisions barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the Ibadan convention.
However, Justices Haruna Tsammani and Abubakar Umar dissented from the lead judgment.
Mr Umar said the issues were related to internal affairs of a political party. He granted the appeal on favour of the appellants but dismissed their cross-appeal.
Mr Tsammani also said, “Issues related to political parties are purely domestic and not matters for the court.
“If our courts continue to indulge them, it will damage our political environment… it should not be the case in a democratic society.”
He warned that politicians should eschew “political abracadabra.”
This is one of the leadership disputes that have fractured the opposition PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, in Mr Lamido’s case, Mr Adah who delivered the lead judgment, held that the convention which produced Mr Turaki and his group as the leaders of the party was conducted in disobedience to court orders.
This judgment barred INEC from recognising the outcome of the Ibadan convention.
Mr Turaki’s faction filed the appeal before the Supreme Court to challenge the 9 April decision of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, invalidating the national convention organised by the Turaki-led faction, which was held in Ibadan, Oyo State, between 15 and 16 November 2025.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the appeals brought before it by the Mr Turaki-led faction of the party.
The court also awarded N2 million as costs against the appellants, comprising Mr Turaki and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
