The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment regarding an appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reinstate its national convention, which was previously nullified by the Court of Appeal.
The convention in question took place on November 15 and 16, 2025, at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A five-member panel of Justices, led by Justice Lawal Garba, announced that a date for the final ruling would be communicated to all parties involved.
This decision followed the adoption of written briefs by legal representatives for and against the appeal.
Read Also: Massive Defections Hit House Of Reps As Lawmakers Quit LP, PDP, APC
The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP is urging the apex court to set aside the lower court’s decision, which invalidated the Ibadan convention.
The faction maintains that the dispute is an “internal party affair, which is not justiciable,” and argues that all necessary legal procedures were followed during the event.
However, previous rulings from the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal favored aggrieved members, barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the convention’s outcomes and restricting access to the party’s national secretariat.
The legal trouble began in October 2025, when Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court stopped the convention from proceeding.
Read Also: PDP Crisis: Court Takes Action Against INEC Chairman, Anyanwu
The judge ruled that the party had failed to conduct valid state congresses as required by the 1999 Constitution, INEC guidelines, and the PDP’s own constitution, stating that the party must comply with “relevant statutory provisions including the Electoral Act and Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties (2022).”
A second major blow came from Justice Peter Lifu, who ordered the party to halt the convention after a suit was filed by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido.
Lamido alleged he was unfairly excluded from the chairmanship race. Justice Lifu noted:“The evidence before the court established that Lamido was unjustly denied the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest the position of national chairman of the party, in violation of the PDP constitution and its internal regulations.”
On November 14, 2025—just one day before the event—Justice Lifu issued a final order restraining the party from moving forward, holding that the PDP had failed to “afford a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido the opportunity to prepare and contest as a chairmanship candidate.”
With the Supreme Court now set to have the final say, the PDP remains in a state of legal uncertainty as it awaits the verdict that will determine the legitimacy of its current national leadership.
