The Supreme Court has nullified the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025.
PrimeTimes Nigeria understands that the convention had produced a factional national executive of the party led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN.
In a split decision delivered on Thursday, three out of five justices of the apex court held that the appeal filed by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP lacks merit.
Stephen Adah, who read the majority decision, held that the appellants violated a subsisting order of the federal high court which restrained them from proceeding with the planned convention.
The apex court’s decision has now affirmed earlier judgments which held that the exercise was conducted in violation of subsisting court orders.
The Ibadan convention had been the subject of prolonged legal disputes before the Supreme Court’s verdict.
A Federal High Court had earlier restrained the PDP from going ahead with the convention, citing alleged breaches of the party’s constitution and failure to comply with due process.
The court also noted unresolved disputes from state congresses and the alleged exclusion of some aspirants from the process.
Despite the order, the convention went ahead, leading to further litigation. The Court of Appeal subsequently upheld the decision of the lower court.
It affirmed that the convention was held in violation of valid judicial pronouncements and that its outcome could not stand.
Dissatisfied with the concurrent judgments, the Turaki-led faction approached the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the decisions and validate the convention as well as the executives it produced.
The Supreme Court’s decision to void the convention has effectively settled the legal dispute over the legitimacy of the factional leadership that emerged from the exercise.
The ruling is expected to shape the PDP’s internal arrangements as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.