The supreme court has reserved judgment in appeals seeking to validate the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo state, on November 15 and 16, 2025.
The Tanimu Turaki-led factional executives of the PDP filed
two separate appeals praying the court to vacate the judgments of the court of
appeal, which nullified the outcome of the Ibadan convention.
The first appeal marked SC/CV/164/2026 stems from a decision
of Peter Lifu, judge of a federal high court in Abuja, who issued a temporary
order on November 11, restraining the party from proceeding with the planned
convention pending the determination of a substantive suit filed by Sule
Lamido, former governor of Jigawa state.
On November 14, he made a final order restraining the PDP
from conducting its national convention.
In his judgment, Lifu held that 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.
The decision was later upheld by the court of appeal on
March 9.
Aggrieved, the PDP further appealed the decision of the
appellate court.
At the court session on Wednesday, the appellants, through
their team of lawyers led by Paul Erokoro, a senior advocate of Nigeria, prayed
the supreme court allow their appeal and to dismiss a cross-appeal lodged
against them by a faction of the party aligned with Nyesom Wike, minister of
the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The respondents including Lamido, who was represented by J.
C. Njikonye, SAN, as well as the Wike-backed faction, represented by Joseph
Daudu, filed preliminary objections seeking dismissal of the appeal.
The second appeal, marked SC/CV/166/2026, was filed by the
PDP, its national working committee (NWC), and national executive committee
(NEC).
The appeal emanates from a judgment of the Abuja federal
high court delivered by James Omotosho.
Omotosho had stopped the PDP faction from going ahead with
its Ibadan national convention.
The judge ruled that the evidence before the court showed
that the party failed to hold valid state congresses before the planned
convention as stipulated in the 1999 constitution and INEC guidelines, as well
as its own constitution.
The judgment was also upheld by the court of appeal on March
9.
The appellate court panel held that it found no reason to
overturn Omotosho’s verdict, which barred INEC from validating the Ibadan
convention outcome.
After hearing all parties in the appeals, a five-member
panel of the apex court, headed by Mohammed Garba, reserved the matter for
judgment. The court said a date will be communicated to the parties in the
suit.
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