The High Court of Oyo State in Ibadan has validated the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) elective convention that occurred on November 15 and 16, 2025. This decision introduces a significant turn in the leadership struggle affecting the political party for the past three years.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the convention resulted in Kabiru Turaki being named the National Chairman of the party.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, Judge Ladiran Akintola confirmed that the convention had been executed in accordance with the constitutional and statutory guidelines governing party elections in Nigeria.
This ruling was based on an amended originating summons submitted by Misbau Adetunmbi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), representing the claimant, Folahan Adelabu.
Judge Akintola stated that the convention, organized by the legitimate party leadership, complied with all necessary legal requirements outlined in the Constitution of Nigeria.
Furthermore, he indicated that the event also met the criteria established by the Electoral Act 2022 and other relevant electoral regulations.
The court did not identify any violations of due process or legal inconsistencies in how the convention was carried out.
During the same session, the court dismissed a motion from Sunday Ibrahim, SAN, which sought a stay of the proceedings and suspension of the ruling on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two other individuals, labeling the requests as lacking merit.
The judge had previously dismissed Mr. Ibrahim's application to include his clients as parties in the lawsuit, asserting that the joinder application was unsubstantiated.
The litigation arose when the Turaki faction of the PDP filed suit No. FHC/IB/CS/121/2025, asking for acknowledgment and validation of the convention conducted in Ibadan last year and the National Working Committee that emerged from it.
This latest ruling contradicts a previous decision made by the Federal High Court in Ibadan, which identified both the Oyo State High Court and the Federal High Court as equal in jurisdiction, implying that neither has superiority over the other.
The Federal High Court had previously nullified the national convention of the PDP. In that verdict, Judge Uche Agomoh forbade Mr. Turaki and other officials elected during the convention from claiming to be national officers of the party.
Additionally, the judge affirmed that the Caretaker Committee led by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Samuel Anyanwu constituted the only authorized National Working Committee of the PDP until a valid national convention takes place.
Following Judge Agomoh's ruling, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) withdrew recognition of Mr. Turaki's leadership and instead acknowledged the acting chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, whose faction is aligned with FCT minister Nyesom Wike.
The implications of Friday's judgment for INEC remain uncertain, particularly regarding whether it will revert its recognition to Mr. Turaki's leadership.
Typically, INEC considers the most recent judicial ruling or the decision made by a superior court in situations characterized by rapid and conflicting judicial outcomes.
The crisis within the PDP is projected to continue following the recent judgment, as the matter is now under appeal.
On February 13, the Court of Appeal in Abuja had reversed a judgment regarding the dispute. After listening to the parties, the three-judge panel indicated that the date for the ruling would be communicated subsequently, but this information had yet to be made public as of Friday.
The appeals were largely focused on various rulings made by two Federal High Court judges in Abuja – James Omotosho and Peter Lifu, as well as conflicting decisions from both the Oyo State High Court and the Federal High Court in Ibadan regarding the contentious convention.
Despite judicial decisions that prevented the convention from proceeding, it was carried out in Ibadan on November 15-16, 2025, leading to Tanimu Turaki's election as the national chairman of the PDP, along with other national officials.
In a related case before Judge Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, a rival faction, aligned with Minister Wike, filed a suit on November 21 to bar the Turaki-led group from representing the party and to prevent the police and the State Security Service (SSS) from allowing them access to the PDP secretariat in Abuja.
On January 23, Judge Abdulmalik adjourned the case until February 20 to await a report from the Court of Appeal regarding the appeals linked to the Ibadan convention, acknowledging the ongoing legal disputes surrounding the matter.
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