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From Ismail Omipidan, Abuja
The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja yesterday, Monday, March 9, 2026, upheld an earlier judgment restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the national convention by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The court dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP, led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, challenging the October 31 ruling delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel of the court resolved the four issues raised in the appeal and held that the appeal lacked merit, insisting that the trial court acted within its powers when it granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs and restrained INEC from recognising the convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan.
The court also rejected the PDP’s argument that the case bordered solely on the party’s internal affairs and was therefore outside the jurisdiction of the court, saying that the plaintiffs had the legal right to institute the suit to protect their democratic rights and that the PDP was not denied fair hearing as it alleged.
To this end, the appellate court went ahead to award a cost of N2m against the Turaki-led PDP for filing what it described as a “frivolous appeal.” With the Appeal Court judgement, the Ibadan convention remains a nullity and all those who emerged as officials of the party from that convention, will no longer have locus to parade themselves as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. So, what next for the PDP?
Before the Appeal Court’s judgement, two leading figures of the party have been making moves to see how the matter can be resolved politically regardless of the outcome of the Appeal Court judgement. They are: former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido. They reason that if the party was interested in fielding any candidate for next year’s elections, then, the matter must be allowed to terminate at the Appeal Court. According to them, if any of the feuding parties decide to approach the Supreme Court, it would jeopardise the chances of the PDP, as the Supreme Court’s decision may only come after the various parties’ primary elections would have been decided.
Daily Sun recalled that the Turaki-led PDP had approached the court to challenge three separate decisions of the Abuja Federal High Court. The decisions were delivered by Justices James Omotosho, Joyce Abdulmalik and Peter Lifu.
The decisions by Justice Omotosho and Lifu had restrained the PDP from conducting the November 15 and 16, 2025 Ibadan national convention, which later produced Turaki as the party’s National Chairman.
Justice Omotosho had in a suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025 filed by three aggrieved members of the party – Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Hon Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman) and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South), with
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, its National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature; the NWC and the National Executive Committee (NEC), as defendants, issued an order on October 31, 2025, restraining INEC from recognising the outcome of the national convention planned for Ibadan, Oyo State on November 15 and 16 by the PDP.
He also held that the PDP failed to comply with relevant conditions under its constitution and laws stipulating the necessary steps to be taken before conducting such a convention, insisting that the evidence supplied by INEC and some of the respondents showed that congresses were not held in some states of the federation in breach of the law, just as he held that the signing of notices and correspondence of the PDP by its National Chairman, without the National Secretary, violated the law and consequently made such notices and correspondences a nullity.
Justice Omotosho also held that the PDP failed to issue the mandatory 21 days notice of meetings and congresses to enable INEC carry out its mandatory duty of monitoring such meetings and congresses, just as he equally pointed out the failure of the PDP to comply with the law has put the planned convention in jeopardy, and subsequently advised the PDP to do the needful before going ahead with the election.
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On his part, Justice Lifu’s judgment of November 14, 2025 centred on a suit filed by Lamido. The former Jigawa governor had in the suit, sought among others, to stop the national convention of the party planned for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, on the grounds that he was allegedly denied the opportunity to contest for the post of National Chairman.
And in deciding the matter, the judge upheld Lamido’s claim and ordered the party to put its house in order before proceeding with its planned convention. The judge ordered that the Ibadan convention must be put on hold until Lamido is allowed to purchase the nomination form for the office of national chairman and campaign for his aspiration.
Like Justice Omotosho, he also prohibited INEC from supervising, monitoring or aiding the convention until Lamido is allowed to participate. The judge held that the PDP is under a strict obligation to adhere to its own rules and regulations by giving eligible members the opportunity to pursue their individual aspirations, adding that it was wrong of the party to deny Lamido the opportunity to purchase the nomination form for the national chairmanship.
He insisted that the PDP was in clear breach of its constitution and guidelines by denying some members access to nomination forms for elective offices at the convention, saying that due process must be strictly followed, warning that failure to do so would endanger democracy. He cited section 6 of the 1999 Constitution, saying courts must dispense justice without fear or favour, warning that anarchy would prevail whenever courts abdicate their constitutionally assigned functions.
However, rather than abide by the decisions of the court, the PDP approached the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, where it got the nod to proceed with the convention as planned. The judge, A. L. Akintola, issued the interim order on November 3, 2025, following an ex-parte application filed by Folahan Adelabi. The judge held that “The court finds merit in the claimant’s motion ex-parte. The same succeeds and is hereby ordered as prayed.”
But with the latest Appeal Court’s decision, the party may have to pursue the positions of Saraki and Lamido if it must remain politically relevant ahead of 2027 elections. Lamido, had last month, embarked on fresh efforts to save the opposition PDP from imminent collapse. He had declared that, regardless of any court verdict, only a political solution could revive the ailing PDP.
The fresh move, came after a similar effort by Saraki. Lamido had met with former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, at his Kaduna residence, where he said there was an urgent need for party leaders to come together to salvage the situation. He also confirmed to Daily Sun at the time that he would be meeting other notable stalwarts of the party, including Saraki, on the way forward.
He counselled that the PDP leaders should not wait for any court verdict before swinging into action, insisting that the party is an institution that is beyond any leader’s “ego and pride.”
Lamido said further that, “it is true I met with His Excellency, Makarfi. And the mission is simply to save our party, the PDP. We need to call a meeting before the court delivers judgment to calm frayed nerves. We must meet with our governors, BoT chairman and members and other stakeholders.
“Those abusing themselves must sheath their swords. PDP is an institution that is beyond the pride and ego of any of us the leaders. Our governors must stop abusing themselves. They must not reduce the crisis to personal attacks, while the party and its members continue to suffer. At this stage, we need a political solution. We must appeal to Wike, Bala Mohammed, Makinde, Fintiri and everyone that feel aggrieved, so that before the court verdict comes, we would have moved on,” Lamido added.
Daily Sun recalls that Lamido’s position is not different from the path toed by Saraki long before the Ibadan PDP convention and even after the convention. For instance, from the beginning, Saraki had advised that PDP leaders should manage their affairs such that they would not need to resort to court because he had envisaged that going to court would retard the progress and unity of the party.
The former Senate President also urged them to avoid factionalisation, saying that breaking into factions would see the party playing into the hands of the enemy. He further advised that the leaders should manage the party to get to the national convention, where they could fix all the issues, review the constitution and chart the way forward. But no one listened, as the leaders pushed the matter until there were resultant court cases and factions. And with the litigations, Saraki had equally advised that the best move was to stop the convention and set up a caretaker committee that would be used to resolve all the issues and reconcile the various factions and groups. Unfortunately, however, the feuding parties refused to listen, and they went ahead to hold a convention that has now become an exercise in futility.
From all indications, as things stand, the PDP may have to toe the positions of Saraki and Lamido if it must remain politically relevant ahead of 2027 elections. Lamido, had last month, embarked on fresh efforts to save the opposition PDP from imminent collapse. He had declared that, regardless of any court verdict, only a political solution could revive the ailing PDP. Will the warring groups listen? It seems only time will tell.
