Nigeria’s Supreme Court has nullified the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025, bringing a decisive end to months of legal disputes surrounding the exercise and the factional leadership it produced.
The apex court, in a split decision delivered on Thursday, ruled that the convention—out of which a parallel National Working Committee led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, emerged—was conducted in violation of subsisting court orders and therefore lacked legal validity.
The Ibadan convention had been controversial from the outset, as it proceeded despite explicit judicial directives restraining the PDP from holding the gathering. A Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier barred the exercise, citing breaches of the party’s constitution, unresolved disputes from state congresses, and the exclusion of some aspirants from the process.
According to the court, these irregularities undermined the integrity of the convention and rendered any outcome from it defective. Nonetheless, the PDP faction went ahead with the event, triggering a prolonged legal battle over its legitimacy.
Subsequently, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Federal High Court, affirming that the convention was conducted in defiance of valid judicial pronouncements and that its outcomes could not stand.
Dissatisfied, the Turaki-led faction approached the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the concurrent judgments and validate both the convention and the executives it produced. However, the apex court dismissed the appeal for lack of merit, holding that the appellants acted in “flagrant disobedience” of court orders.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Stephen Adah faulted the faction for proceeding with the convention despite clear directives to suspend it pending compliance with earlier rulings. The court emphasized that disregard for judicial authority cannot be legitimized under any circumstance.
In its final pronouncement, the Supreme Court declared the Ibadan convention “null, void, and of no effect whatsoever,” effectively invalidating all decisions, resolutions, and appointments arising from it.
The ruling strips the Turaki-led executives of any legal standing within the PDP and settles the question of legitimacy that had fueled internal divisions within the party for months.
The judgment is widely seen as a major turning point in the PDP’s ongoing leadership crisis, particularly as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections. Political observers note that the decision not only restores the authority of earlier court rulings but may also reshape the internal power dynamics within Nigeria’s main opposition party.
Reactions have begun to trail the verdict, with some party stakeholders declaring that the era of factional leadership within the PDP is effectively over. The decision is expected to consolidate control within the party’s recognized leadership structure and potentially pave the way for reconciliation efforts.
By affirming the earlier judgments of the lower courts, the Supreme Court has drawn a definitive line under the legal tussle, reinforcing the principle that political processes must adhere strictly to constitutional provisions and judicial directives.
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