The Supreme Court of Nigeria has voided the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025, dealing a significant blow to a faction within the opposition party.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, a five-member panel of the apex court ruled by a majority decision that the convention organised by a group led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, was conducted in violation of a subsisting court order.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Stephen Adah held that the appellants disregarded an earlier directive of the Federal High Court which restrained them from proceeding with the convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan.
The court found that the disobedience of the order was not contested and described the appeal filed by the faction as lacking merit.
It subsequently dismissed both the appeal and cross-appeals, directing all parties to bear their respective legal costs.
The apex court also upheld earlier rulings by the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, which had nullified the convention and barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising its outcome.
In its reasoning, the court agreed that the faction engaged in an abuse of court process by securing a conflicting order from a court of coordinate jurisdiction despite an existing restraining order.
Citing relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the justices emphasised that political parties must strictly adhere to constitutional guidelines, electoral laws, and valid court orders in the conduct of their internal affairs.
The ruling effectively reinforces earlier judicial decisions on the dispute and further deepens the leadership crisis within the PDP.
