Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) on Thursday, invalidated the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025, deepening the leadership crisis rocking Nigeria’s main opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a split judgment delivered by a five-member panel of the apex court, three justices held that the appeal filed by a faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), lacked merit and affirmed the concurrent decisions of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal nullifying the convention.
The lead judgment delivered by Justice Stephen Adah, in appeal number SC/CV/164/2026, held that the appellants acted in flagrant disobedience of a subsisting order of the Federal High Court restraining them from proceeding with the planned convention pending compliance with earlier directives of the court.
“The disobedience of the court order is not disputed,” Justice Adah held, adding that what transpired amounted to “a threat to the administration of justice in Nigeria.”
The Supreme court consequently dismissed both the appeal and cross-appeals and ordered parties to bear their respective costs.
The dispute arose from the controversial Ibadan convention organised by the Turaki-led faction of the PDP despite pending court orders and unresolved disputes over congresses conducted in several states.
Aggrieved party members had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, arguing that the organisers failed to comply with statutory requirements under the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution before proceeding with the convention.
The trial court subsequently restrained the party from holding the convention pending compliance with its directives.
However, despite the order, the convention went ahead in Ibadan and produced a factional leadership structure, triggering fresh litigation and accusations of forum shopping within the party.
In its judgment, the Supreme Court strongly condemned what it described as a deliberate attempt by political actors to undermine judicial authority by securing conflicting orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction.