The Supreme Court on Thursday nullified the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025. In a majority judgment of three to two justices delivered by Justice Stephen Adah, the apex court upheld the earlier decisions of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal which voided the convention on grounds that it was conducted in defiance of valid court orders.
The five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba held that the PDP acted in contempt by proceeding with the convention despite subsisting orders restraining the exercise. The disputed convention had produced a factional leadership led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), amid intense rivalry within the party.
The apex court agreed with the lower courts that the issue went beyond the internal affairs of the party because it involved disobedience to lawful court orders and violations of due process. The court consequently affirmed the judgments which barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the convention.
The legal battle arose from suits filed by aggrieved party members, including former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, who challenged his exclusion from the race for national chairman. Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court had restrained the PDP from conducting the convention until Lamido was allowed to participate in the process, while another judgment by Justice James Omotosho faulted the party for failing to conduct valid state congresses before the convention.
Dissatisfied with the decisions, the Turaki-led faction approached the Supreme Court, insisting that the dispute was purely an internal party matter beyond the jurisdiction of the courts. However, the apex court dismissed the appeal and sustained the nullification of the convention.
