*Wike: Judgment Shows PDP Is One, No Faction
*PDP Without Leadership, Party Organs Will Step In, Says Turaki Camp
THE Supreme Court, on Thursday, April 30, nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, between November 15 and 16, last year.
In a split decision delivered on Thursday, April 30, three out of five Justices held that the appeal filed by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the party lacks merit.
Justice Stephen Adah, who read the majority decision, held that the appellants violated a susbsisting order of the Federal High Court restraining them from proceeding with the planned convention.
The appeal, marked SC/CV/164/2026, was based on the November 1 temporary order of Justice Peter Lifu of a Federal High Court in Abuja, restraining the party from proceeding with the planned convention, pending the determination of a substantive suit filed by former governor of Jigawa State and aspirant for the post of national chairman, Sule Lamido.
On November 14, the Judge issued a final order restraining PDP from conducting its national convention, holding that evidence before the court established that Lamido was “unjustly denied” the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest the position, in violation of the PDP constitution and its internal regulations.
The ruling was later upheld by the Court of Appeal on March 9, this year.
Aggrieved party members, led by Turaki, further appealed the decision of the appellate court.
In the majority judgment, Justice Adah held that the appellants went ahead in “flagrant disregard” to the subsisting order of the lower court, instead of abiding or appealing the order immediately, the PDP went ahead to abuse court process by filing a similar case before another court of coordinate jurisdiction.
“The appellant did not go on appeal, but rather went to another court of coordinate jurisdiction… Orders of courts must be obeyed and remain binding until set aside. Even whether it is regular or irregular or even perverse…,” the court held.
The court also noted that the appellants, in their Appeal, did not challenge the findings of the Court of Appeal that criticised the party for disobeying a subsisting court order.
Consequently, Justice Adah upheld the verdict of the appellate court and dismissed the appeal.
However, in a dissenting judgment, Justice Simon Tsammani, held that the issue of disobedience to court order was not raised by any of the parties in the appeal. Rather, it was raised on the court’s observation.
Justice Tsammani also held that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to preside over an internal party affair.
Consequently, he upheld the appeal, supported by Justice Sadiq Umar.
The court also dismissed a second appeal, marked SC/CV/166/2026, filed by the PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), arising from a judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho.
The Judge had stopped the Turaki-led faction from going ahead with the Ibadan convention, saying the evidence before the court showed the party failed to hold valid state congresses before the planned convention, as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), INEC guidelines and its own constitution.
The judgment was also upheld by the Court of Appeal on March 9, which held that it found no reason to overturn Justice Omotosho’s judgment, barring INEC from validating outcome of the Ibadan convention.
The Supreme Court, in its majority decision delivered by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the appellants went ahead to organise the Ibadan convention, in violation of a subsisting court order.
Justices Tsammani and Umar gave dissenting verdicts, holding that internal party affairs are not justiceable in court.
In his reaction, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, said the judgment has settled the ongoing leadership issue in the party and has shown that the PDP is one and has no faction.
Speaking to journalists at his home in Abuja, Wike rejected claims of divisions, saying the court’s decision has brought clarity to the situation.
According to him: “The PDP is one. The top court ruled three to two that the party’s national meeting in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, which created a leadership, supported by Seyi Makinde, was invalid.
“The court’s main decision said that the convention broke the rules set by previous court orders, which required the party to follow specific steps before moving forward.
“It also criticised the PDP for continuing with the exercise even though they were told not to.”
Wike drew a distinction between political parties and individuals, noting: “I don’t mean to say I don’t like the party; I just hate the people who are there. I don’t like them.
“They are among the people who have caused Nigeria a lot of problems.”
On his part, Turaki’s camp declared that the PDP was without a defined leadership, following the ruling, but expressed confidence that the party’s constitutional organs will swiftly step in to rescue the situation and reconstitute its leadership.
The camp’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, in a statement on Thursday, claimed the split judgment also upheld the Court of Appeal’s suspension of Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), Senator Samuel Anyanwu and others.
According to the statement: “The minority judgment by Justices Haruna Tsammani and Abubakar Umar held that the two appeals emanate from matters which are internal affairs of the PDP, and are, therefore, non-justiciable.
“The case at the FHC was not challenging any act or decision of any federal government agency, but the leadership contest of the party, and is therefore not justiciable.
“Furthermore, they held that it is not the duty of the court to fish out matters to execute the case for the respondent, because the majority judgment undertook the duty of raising matters suo motu without calling on the parties to address them.
“This is against the position of the apex court, wherein parties must be given the opportunity to address the court on matters raised suo motu.
“With this split judgment, which also upheld the Court of Appeal’s suspension of Ajibade, Anyanwu and others, this effectively leaves the PDP as a party without a defined leadership.
“To this end, we are certain that the existing organs of the party will take the necessary steps to salvage the party and confer leadership on it going forward.
“This leads the vehicle of our party towards a dangerous bend, which, if not carefully navigated, may not only affect the party but also multi-party democracy in our country.”
