…Faults Disobedience to Court Order
…Wike Declares End to Party Factions
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has nullified the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025, ruling that the exercise was conducted in disobedience to a valid court order.
In a majority judgment delivered by Justice Stephen Adah, the apex court dismissed an appeal filed by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the party for lacking merit and constituting an abuse of court process.
The court held that the convention, which took place on November 15 and 16, 2025, was carried out in defiance of an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court delivered by Justice James Omotosho.
It faulted the appellants for approaching a court of coordinate jurisdiction to secure a favourable order instead of filing an appeal, describing the move as improper.
“This court will not lend its machinery to any litigant who abuses the process of the court,” the judgment stated, adding that parties who engage in such conduct do so at their own peril.
The apex court further stressed that political parties must obey court orders, noting that they remain critical vehicles for democratic governance.
“Once a party is aware of a court order, it is bound to obey it,” the court ruled, declaring the Ibadan convention “null and void.”
Divergent Judgments
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Haruna Samani held that the issue bordered on internal party affairs and was therefore not justiciable.
This position was supported by Justice Abubakar Umar, who argued that matters unrelated to party primaries fall outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
However, both justices agreed that disobedience to court orders should not be condoned.
Wike: ‘No More Factions’
Reacting to the judgment, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, declared that the ruling had put an end to factional divisions within the PDP.
“The Supreme Court judgment has now made it known there is only one PDP. Faction does not exist any longer,” Wike said.
He also maintained that the March 2026 convention held in Abuja, which produced Abdulrahman Mohammed as National Chairman and returned Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, remains valid.
Turaki Camp Raises Alarm
However, the Turaki-aligned faction rejected the implication of the ruling, warning that it has created a leadership vacuum within the party.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, the group described the judgment as a “turning point” and cautioned that the absence of a clearly defined leadership structure could destabilise both the party and Nigeria’s multi-party system.
The faction called on party stakeholders to urgently intervene to restore order and legitimacy.
Background
The crisis stemmed from a suit filed by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, who secured a Federal High Court injunction restraining the PDP from holding its convention until he was allowed to contest for national chairman.
Despite the order, the party proceeded with the Ibadan convention—an action later invalidated by both the trial court and the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.
The latest Supreme Court verdict effectively affirms those earlier decisions, further entrenching the leadership dispute within the opposition party.
