Supreme Court voids Ibadan PDP convention, invalidates Turaki-led executives

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has struck down the controversial Ibadan national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, nullifying the parallel leadership that emerged from the exercise and bringing closure to months of legal wrangling within the party.

The convention, held in Oyo State on November 15 and 16, 2025, had produced a factional national executive committee led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN), further widening cracks within the PDP.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, the apex court affirmed the decisions of lower courts which ruled that the convention was conducted in breach of subsisting court orders and in violation of the party’s constitution.

The ruling is widely seen as a major boost for the camp aligned with Nyesom Wike, which had opposed the legitimacy of the Ibadan gathering.

The controversy over the convention had persisted for months, with aggrieved stakeholders challenging both the process and the outcome in court.

Before the event, a Federal High Court had issued an order restraining the party from proceeding with the convention, citing unresolved disputes from state congresses, non-compliance with internal procedures, and the exclusion of certain aspirants.

Despite the court’s directive, the convention was held, prompting fresh legal actions. The Court of Appeal subsequently upheld the lower court’s ruling, declaring that the exercise violated valid judicial pronouncements and could not stand.

The Turaki-led faction, dissatisfied with the concurrent judgments, approached the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the rulings and secure recognition for the executives produced at the convention.

However, the apex court dismissed the appeal, affirming that the process leading to the convention was fundamentally flawed and could not be validated.

With the decision, the Supreme Court has effectively put an end to the legal dispute over the Ibadan convention, nullifying all outcomes of the exercise and leaving the PDP to navigate its internal leadership structure ahead of the 2027 elections.