The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing one of its gravest legal and institutional crises in recent memory, after a court of appeal in Abuja on Monday upheld a federal high court ruling that nullified the party’s national convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan.
A three-member panel of the appellate court dismissed the party’s challenge to the jurisdiction of the lower court.
EDITOR’S PICKS
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, the court found that the PDP had violated constitutional provisions governing the conduct of conventions, failed to serve the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with a valid notice of the event, and did not hold valid congresses in the required number of states before proceeding. The court went further, awarding N2 million in costs against the party for filing what it described as a frivolous appeal.
The Party’s Response
The national working committee (NWC) loyal to Kabiru Turaki, the chairman who emerged from the nullified convention, has rejected the ruling and announced plans to challenge it at the Supreme Court.
In a statement signed by Ini Ememobong, the faction’s spokesperson, the party said its lawyers had been directed to immediately file an appeal at the apex court.
Ememobong warned that giving effect to the judgment would cause “untold hardship” on party members, and urged members to remain united while consultations were ongoing with critical organs of the party.
He also accused unnamed persons of being “government agents masquerading as opposition leaders” — language that signals the factional tension driving much of the current crisis has not eased.
The move to the Supreme Court means the legal battle is far from over. But while it plays out, the court’s order restraining INEC from recognising the outcome of the Ibadan convention remains in force, leaving the party in an uncertain administrative limbo.
What the Ruling Means
The appellate court was clear on one point: the failures that led to this ruling are not mere technicalities. The court held that compliance with the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and a party’s own constitution and guidelines sits at the heart of democratic governance, and that courts are right to enforce it.
This framing is significant. It closes off the argument, which the PDP had advanced, that the suit amounted to interference in the internal affairs of a political party. The court disagreed. If a party conducts a major national gathering without following the required legal steps — proper notice to INEC, valid state congresses — the courts can step in.
For a party that will need to be in fighting shape ahead of the 2027 general elections, the timing is difficult. The PDP’s capacity to organise primaries, field candidates, and present a united front to voters will depend, in no small part, on resolving who legitimately leads it. A Supreme Court hearing could drag into 2026 and beyond.
The Road Ahead
Two broad paths lie before the party. The first is to pursue the Supreme Court appeal and hope for a reversal or a stay of execution on the appeal court’s order. If the apex court agrees to hear the matter urgently and rules in the Turaki faction’s favour, the convention outcome could be restored. The second is for all factions to return to the drawing board, conducting proper congresses in the required states and organising a fresh convention that meets all legal requirements.
The second path would be longer and more painful, but it may prove more durable. It would require negotiation between the competing factions, which have shown little appetite for compromise so far.
What is clear is that Nigeria’s judiciary has, at least at this level, sent a firm signal: political parties are not above the law, and democratic processes must be followed, not just in principle, but in procedure.
FURTHER READING
Whether the PDP’s leadership takes that signal seriously will shape not just the party’s future, but the credibility of opposition politics in Nigeria.
Philip Ibitoye is a Special Correspondent with EKO HOT BLOG. Click here to find daily analysis and critical insight on trending issues in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
Click to watch the video of the week below:
