The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Wednesday reserved judgment in an appeal filed by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its disputed 2025 national convention.
The appeal was brought by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led faction, challenging earlier court rulings that nullified the convention.
A five-member panel led by Lawal Garba announced that a date for judgment would be communicated after parties adopted their final written addresses.
The Turaki faction is seeking to overturn the March 9 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed decisions invalidating the PDP’s Ibadan convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025.
At the hearing, counsel for the faction argued that the matter concerns internal party affairs and is not justiciable, maintaining that due process was followed.
However, lower courts had ruled against the group, nullifying the convention and restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising its outcome.
The rulings also affected access to the party’s national secretariat.
The Court of Appeal had upheld two Federal High Court judgments in Abuja, which barred the PDP from conducting the convention pending compliance with the Electoral Act and the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
In one of the decisions, Justice James Omotosho held that the party failed to conduct valid state congresses as required by law and its constitution, thereby invalidating the planned convention.
Similarly, Justice Peter Lifu restrained the party from proceeding with the convention until it allowed former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, to participate in the national chairmanship race after finding he was unjustly excluded.
The suits were filed by aggrieved party members, including executives from Imo, Abia and the South-South zone, deepening the leadership crisis within the party.
More details later…
