Supreme Court Declares Judgment on Turaki-led PDP Faction’s Ibadan Convention
- Nigeria's apex court, the Supreme Court, invalidated the PDP national convention held in Ibadan in 2025
- Three out of five justices of the Supreme Court found the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki faction's appeal to lack merit
- The court held that the contested PDP convention violated federal court orders, confirming its illegitimacy
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - The Supreme Court has invalidated the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, Oyo state, on November 15 and 16, 2025.
As reported by Vanguard, in a split decision delivered on Thursday, April 30, three of the five justices of the apex court held that the appeal filed by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP lacked merit.
Source: Twitter
The Cable also noted the apex court's verdict.
Stephen Adah, who read the majority decision, held that the appellants violated a subsisting order of the Federal High Court, which restrained them from proceeding with the planned convention.
Supreme Court voids PDP Ibadan convention
The Ibadan convention had been the subject of protracted legal disputes prior to the Supreme Court’s verdict.
The PDP held the convention in Ibadan, Oyo state, on November 15 and 16, 2025, where a factional leadership led by Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), emerged. However, the exercise was conducted amid subsisting court orders restraining the party from proceeding with the gathering.
A Federal High Court had earlier barred the convention, citing breaches of the party’s constitution and the failure to comply with due process, including unresolved disputes arising from state congresses. The court also noted that certain aspirants were excluded from the process, rendering it defective.
Despite the order, the convention went ahead, prompting further litigation. The Court of Appeal subsequently upheld the decision of the lower court, affirming that the exercise was held in violation of valid judicial pronouncements and that its outcome could not stand.
Dissatisfied with the concurrent judgments, the Turaki-led faction approached the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the rulings and validate the convention as well as the executives it produced.
The apex court’s decision to void the Ibadan convention has now effectively affirmed the earlier judgments, putting to rest the legal tussle over the legitimacy of the factional leadership that emerged from the exercise.
Source: Facebook
Wike's camp reacts to court's judgment
Meanwhile, the camp of Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), swiftly reacted to the Supreme Court's verdict.
Lere Olayinka, the senior special assistant on public communications to Wike, mocked Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state. Makinde and Wike, once allies, are now considered adversaries.
Olayinka wrote on his verified X handle:
"Final nail on the coffin of Seyi Makinde's Amala Convention. But he must return that N5bn Oyo State money that he wasted."
Read his X post below:
Read more on PDP crisis:
- Saraki explains why PDP’s national convention should be suspended, proposes solution
- ‘He is Wike’s man’: Ex-aide to PDP national chair slams Saraki over call to suspend convention
What's the way forward for Gov Makinde?
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court of Nigeria ruling, which appears to have weakened the grip of the PDP faction aligned with Seyi Makinde, political observers are weighing the Oyo state governor’s next move. Offering his perspective, political analyst and senior associate editor at The Republic, Omotayo Yusuf, said:
"While there lackedDP. This allows him to remain in the good book of the Southwest by not openly challenging Tinubu and can build his profile ahead of 2031."
Solution to PDP crisis
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ahead of the 2027 elections, Wike asked the PDP to respect the court's judgments on the party's national convention.
The PDP chieftain, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s 'Politics Today', monitored by Legit.ng
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
Nurudeen Lawal (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) Nurudeen Lawal is an AFP-certified journalist with a wealth of experience spanning over 8 years. He received his B/Arts degree in Literature in English from OAU. Lawal is the Head of the Politics/CA Desk at Legit.ng. He previously worked at Lantern Books and Saraba Magazine. Lawal was named the Political Desk Head of the Year (Nigeria Media Nite-Out Award 2023). Lawal is a member of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network. He is also a certified fact-checker (Dubawa fellowship, 2020). Contact him at lawal.nurudeen@corp.legit.ng or +2348054399455.
Ridwan Adeola Yusuf (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content writer with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.
