News, Politics

Turaki-Led PDP Heads to Supreme Court After Appeal Court Voids 2025 National Convention

Published by Samuel Ayomide on March 10th, 2026.

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki has rejected a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal that invalidated the party’s national convention held in November 2025, announcing plans to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The appellate court, sitting in Abuja, on Monday upheld an earlier judgment delivered by the Federal High Court of Nigeria, which had restrained the party from conducting the convention held on November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

A three-member panel of the court dismissed an appeal filed by the party challenging the authority of the Federal High Court to hear the case.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam ruled that the party did not fully comply with constitutional requirements governing the conduct of a national convention. The court held that the party failed to properly notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as required by law.

The court also noted that the necessary congresses were not conducted in the required number of states ahead of the convention, a step considered essential under electoral guidelines. Based on these findings, the court concluded that the matter could not be dismissed as merely an internal party issue and affirmed the lower court’s authority to restrain INEC from recognizing the outcome of the convention.

Reacting to the ruling, the Turaki faction of the party said it would immediately challenge the verdict at the Supreme Court.

In a statement issued by the faction’s spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, the group described the judgment as one that could create significant challenges for party members if allowed to stand.

According to him, the party’s legal team has already been instructed to begin the process of appealing the decision at the apex court in order to obtain a final resolution on the matter.

Ememobong said consultations were ongoing with key party organs on the next steps, while expressing confidence that the Supreme Court would provide clarity on the dispute.

He also urged party members to remain united and patient as the legal process unfolds, adding that the leadership remains committed to resolving the crisis and strengthening the party’s democratic structure.