Wike-backed PDP wins big as Supreme Court voids Ibadan convention

The Supreme Court in Nigeria on Thursday voided the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan on November 15 & 16, 2025, handing a severe blow to the camp led by Mr. Tanimu Turaki (SAN).

In a judgment delivered by a five-man bench, the apex court declared that the appeal filed by the Turaki camp was baseless. The apex court thus upheld the judgments of the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, which had voided the national convention.

The decision by the apex court means that the decisions taken at the Ibadan Convention have been voided as the ongoing leadership crisis in the political party continues unabated.

In a ruling of appeal SC/CV/164/2026, Justice Stephen Adah, in his lead judgment, said the appellants went ahead with the convention contrary to an existing restraining order from the Federal High Court.

The court accordingly struck out the appeals and cross-appeals and ordered each side to pay their own costs.

The justices also stated that there were no issues about the disregard of the court orders, stressing further that the PDP breakaway group abused the court process by obtaining another conflicting order from a court of coordinate jurisdiction despite the prior issuance of an injunction.

The Supreme Court agreed with the decisions of the lower courts that political parties must adhere strictly to Sections 221, 222 and 229 of the Constitution of 1999 in the management of their internal processes.

The appeal sought the reversal of the decision of the Court of Appeal dated March 9, which affirmed the order of the Federal High Court striking out the convention and prohibiting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing its result.

Earlier, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment in the case following the hearing on April 22.