The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved judgment in an appeal filed by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, challenging the nullification of its 2025 national convention.
A five-member panel of justices, headed by Justice Lawal Garba, announced that a date for the judgment would be communicated to all parties after lawyers adopted their final written addresses.
The Turaki-led faction is asking the apex court to overturn the March 9 decision of the Court of Appeal, which upheld earlier rulings that invalidated the party’s convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025.
At the hearing, counsel to the faction argued that the matter concerns internal party affairs and should not be subject to judicial interference. They maintained that due process was followed in organising the convention.
However, both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal had ruled against the exercise, declaring it invalid. The courts also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the convention and issued orders affecting access to the party’s national secretariat.
In one of the earlier rulings, Justice James Omotosho held that the PDP failed to conduct valid state congresses in line with the Electoral Act and its own constitution, thereby undermining the legitimacy of the convention.
In a separate decision, Justice Peter Lifu ordered the party to allow former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, to participate in the national chairmanship race, ruling that his exclusion was unjust.
The legal battle stems from suits filed by aggrieved party members, including state executives from Imo, Abia, and the South-South, and has since deepened the leadership crisis within the opposition party.
The Supreme Court’s forthcoming judgment is expected to provide clarity on the dispute and determine the validity of the contested convention.
