The Supreme Court on Thursday invalidated the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025, dealing a major setback to a faction of the opposition party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, SAN.
In a split decision delivered by a five-member panel of the apex court, three justices held that the appeal filed by the Turaki-led faction lacked merit and upheld the concurrent judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, which had earlier faulted the conduct of the convention.
Delivering the lead judgment in appeal number SC/CV/164/2026, Justice Stephen Adah held that the appellants violated a subsisting order of the Federal High Court that restrained them from proceeding with the planned convention.
The court consequently dismissed the appeal and cross-appeals, ordering all parties to bear their respective costs.
The apex court also held that disobedience of the earlier court order was not in dispute. It further agreed with the lower courts that the PDP faction abused court processes by allegedly obtaining a counter-order from a court of coordinate jurisdiction in Ibadan after an earlier restraining order had been issued by the Federal High Court.
Justice Adah noted that the lower courts were correct in relying on Sections 221, 222, and 229 of the 1999 Constitution, which require political parties to strictly comply with constitutional provisions, electoral guidelines, and valid court orders in conducting conventions and internal party affairs.
The appeal challenged the March 9 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had upheld the Federal High Court’s decision nullifying the convention and restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising its outcome.
The Supreme Court had earlier reserved judgment in the matter after hearing arguments on April 22.
Elijah Adeyemi
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