Wike-backed PDP faction wins as Supreme Court voids Ibadan convention

The Supreme Court has voided the national convention the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025.

Three justices of the Supreme Court, in a split decision delivered by a five-member panel, held that the appeal filed by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction lacked merit and affirmed the concurrent findings of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal against the conduct of the convention.

Delivering the lead judgement in appeal number SC/CV/164/2026, Justice Stephen Adah held that the parties proceeded with the convention despite a subsisting order of the Federal High Court restraining them from doing so.

The Supreme Court ruled that the disobedience of the order was not contested and consequently dismissed all appeals, directing each party to bear its own costs.

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The apex court also upheld the findings of lower courts, agreeing that the Turaki faction abused judicial processes by securing a conflicting order from a court of coordinate jurisdiction in Ibadan after an earlier restraining order had been issued.

Justice Adah affirmed that the lower courts were right to rely on Sections 221, 222 and 229 of the 1999 Constitution, stressing that political parties must strictly adhere to constitutional provisions, electoral laws and valid court orders in conducting conventions and managing internal affairs.

The appeal challenged the March 9 ruling of the Court of Appeal, which had upheld the decision of the Federal High Court nullifying the convention and restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising its outcome.

The Supreme Court had reserved judgement in the case after hearing arguments on April 22.