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.
