“Political parties cannot use internal autonomy as a shield to bypass judicial oversight,” as Supreme Court Voids PDP Ibadan Convention

The Supreme Court of Nigeria officially nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.

The decision, delivered in a split 3–2 judgment, effectively ends months of legal uncertainty regarding the party’s leadership but deepens the internal crisis between rival factions.

The Judgment

The Apex Court upheld the lower court’s decision that voided the Ibadan convention. Justice Stephen Adah, delivering the lead judgment, ruled that the exercise was a “deliberate disobedience” of subsisting court orders that had initially restrained the party from holding the convention.

Majority of the justices (including Justices Mohammed Garba and Chioma Nwosu-Iheme) held that the PDP ignored judicial directives meant to ensure all aspirants, including those from the camp of former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, had a fair chance to participate.

Implications of the Judgment

1. Turaki Faction’s Ibadan Convention Voided. By nullifying the event, the court has also invalidated the election of all National Working Committee (NWC) members led by Kabiru Turaki SAN who emerged from that process.
2. INEC Standing: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which had already refused to recognize the Turaki-led leadership, is now legally barred from dealing with the invalidated officers.
3. Impact on the Wike Bloc: The ruling is seen as a strategic victory for the rival bloc aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. Members of this faction, who were suspended during the disputed Ibadan convention, have now seen the authority of their rivals legally dismantled.
4. Obedience to Court Orders: The court emphasized that “obedience to court orders is fundamental to the rule of law,” warning that political parties cannot use internal autonomy as a shield to bypass judicial oversight.