The nullification of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) November 2025 national convention in Ibadan by the Federal High Court has deepened internal divisions, setting the stage for renewed legal and political battles within the opposition party.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Uche Agomoh voided the Ibadan convention and barred Tanimu Turaki (SAN) and others who emerged from it as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) from parading themselves as national officers of the PDP. The court further recognised the caretaker committee led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, alongside Senator Samuel Anyanwu, as the only lawful NWC pending the conduct of a valid national convention.
Justice Agomoh held that the convention was conducted in flagrant disobedience of subsisting court orders, describing efforts to seek judicial validation of actions taken in defiance of those orders as futile. He consequently set aside all decisions taken at the convention and directed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) relate only with the caretaker committee.
“This suit is a brazen attempt to legitimise illegalities done in violation of subsisting court orders,” the judge ruled, dismissing the application in its entirety.
The Turaki faction swiftly rejected the verdict and announced plans to appeal. Turaki accused the court of granting reliefs not sought by the opposing faction, arguing that courts are not charitable institutions empowered to award unclaimed remedies. He disclosed that a notice of appeal and a motion for stay of execution had already been filed, insisting that the judgment was academic given pending appeals on related matters before the Court of Appeal.
National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki faction, Comrade Ini Ememobong, maintained that the Ibadan Convention–produced leadership remains legally intact, urging supporters to remain calm and committed to the party’s “rebirth” agenda.
In contrast, the Abdulrahman Mohammed–led caretaker committee hailed the judgment as a victory for democracy and the rule of law. Counsel to the committee, Chief Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), said the ruling affirmed that political legitimacy must flow from strict adherence to party constitution, extant laws, and valid court orders.
Echoing this position, the committee’s spokesman, Jungude Haruna Mohammed, described the decision as a decisive win for constitutionalism and internal party democracy, calling for reconciliation and unity within the PDP.
The party’s Board of Trustees aligned with the Turaki faction, faulting the court for allegedly overreaching its mandate and asserting that the judgment remains in abeyance pending the determination of the appeal. The BoT reaffirmed support for the Turaki-led NWC and urged members to remain resolute.
Meanwhile, the Imo State chapter of the PDP welcomed the ruling, expressing confidence that it would stabilise the party and strengthen its position as Nigeria’s leading opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
As appeals progress, the PDP remains locked in a high-stakes struggle for legitimacy, with the final outcome now resting with the appellate courts.
