The Supreme Court of Nigeria has nullified the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025.
In a split decision delivered on Thursday, three out of five justices ruled that the appeal filed by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction lacked merit. The lead judgment, read by Stephen Adah, held that the appellants went ahead with the convention in defiance of a subsisting order of the Federal High Court.
The court noted that the lower court had expressly restrained the faction from conducting the convention due to breaches of the party’s constitution and failure to follow due process. Key issues included unresolved disputes from state congresses and the exclusion of certain aspirants, which the court said undermined the legitimacy of the exercise.
Despite the order, the convention was held, triggering a series of legal challenges. The Court of Appeal later upheld the Federal High Court’s decision, maintaining that the process violated valid court directives and that its outcome could not stand.
Unhappy with those rulings, the Turaki-led faction approached the apex court, seeking to validate both the convention and the leadership it produced. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and affirmed the earlier judgments.
With this decision, the apex court has effectively brought the prolonged legal dispute to an end, nullifying the Ibadan convention and invalidating the factional leadership that emerged from it.
