Politics
Ibadan convention: Appeal Court upholds Lamido’s right to contest PDP chairmanship, dismisses party’s appeal
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday affirmed a Federal High Court judgment restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from proceeding with its November 15–16 national convention in Ibadan without allowing former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, to participate as a candidate for the party’s national chairmanship.
In a unanimous ruling, a three-member panel upheld the November 14 decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, which ordered the PDP to grant Lamido the opportunity to contest the chairmanship race. The appellate court ruled that the party’s decision to go ahead with the convention despite the existing court order amounted to contempt and undermined the authority of the judiciary.
“The party proceeded with the convention in defiance of the subsisting order of the court,” the panel said, stressing that no political party has the discretion to choose which court order to follow. It noted that the correct course would have been to apply for a stay of execution or appeal the judgment—not disregard it.
The court dismissed the PDP’s appeal, marked CA/ABJ/1695/2025, for lacking merit and awarded N2 million in costs against the party.
While the ruling resolves Lamido’s legal challenge, analysts note that it does not address the broader internal leadership dispute within the PDP, which has seen divisions between factions aligned with Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State.
The decision, however, reinforces a key legal principle: political parties must adhere to court directives in matters relating to internal elections and conventions, and cannot bypass the judiciary to settle internal disputes.
Legal experts say the judgment could serve as a precedent for future party processes, emphasizing that court orders take precedence over internal party maneuvers, even in the midst of factional leadership tensions.
Lamido’s supporters welcomed the ruling, describing it as a victory for due process and democratic fairness within party politics. The PDP has yet to issue an official response to the appellate court’s judgment.
