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•Opposition party’s leaders celebrate as court affirms Ibadan convention, Turaki-led NWC, intensify effort for opposition coalition
•Judgment will bring rebirth of party – Bode George
By Fred Itua, Ndubuisi Orji, Oluseye Ojo and Chinelo Obogo
The ruling on Friday by an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, affirming the validity of the 2025 Elective Convention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Turaki-led leadership of the party is giving the PDP a fresh boost in its quest to wrest power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election.
The party, it was gathered, is also working on mobilising other opposition political parties to form a working arrangement against the ruling APC as the 2027 elections approach.
It was gathered that negotiations, which started with meetings between leading members of the PDP and opposition parties, might gain momentum in the coming days following Friday’s court judgment validating the Ibadan convention held by the party last year and affirming the Kabiru-Turaki-led National Working Committee. The elective convention produced Dr Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN) as the party’s substantive chairman.
Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, in a judgment on Friday, affirmed the validity of the 2025 Elective Convention of the PDP and that of the Turaki-led party leadership. Key opposition parties in the country, namely, the PDP, Labour Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), following their weak performances in the just-concluded FCT Area Council elections, have resolve to speed up the negotiations.
The PDP won one of the six seats in the area council election in the Federal Capital Territory, the only opposition party to make an impact in the election.
The negotiations, Saturday Sun has gathered, are expected to take centre stage in the coming days, following Thursday’s release of the 2027 general elections timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The newspaper learnt that the PDP believes it remains the dominant opposition party based on its pedigree and reach.
A highly placed source within the party’s top hierarchy told Saturday Sun last night that the move to work with other opposition parties had commenced already, albeit silently, with meetings by some top PDP leaders with other opposition leaders,
He informed that further meetings and negotiations would be held in the days ahead, noting that the PDP had already earned the political capital to make such a move with Friday’s favourable judgement and the party’s fair outing in the FCT polls held last week
Delivering judgment in Suit No. I/1336/2025 on Friday, the court upheld the amended originating summons filed by Musibau Adetunmbi (SAN) on behalf of the claimant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi, who was a candidate at the convention.
Justice Akintola granted all 13 reliefs sought, ruling that the convention complied with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and other relevant electoral laws. The court further dismissed the motions seeking a stay of proceedings and suspension of the ruling, filed by Sunday Ibrahim (SAN) on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two others, who described themselves as interested parties belonging to a faction within the party opposed to the convention.
In a declaration, the court held that the National Convention convened on 15 and 16 November 2025 pursuant to its orders of 3 November 2025, and renewed on 14 November 2025, was legal and valid.
It ruled that, as INEC was a party at the time the interim orders were made and renewed, the outcome of the convention was binding on the commission and that it was obliged to give effect to all decisions reached thereat. The court consequently directed INEC to continue to give perpetual effect to the outcome of the convention, pending any contrary pronouncement by a higher court.
Justice Akintola held that the convention, organised by the recognised leadership of the party, satisfied all laid-down legal requirements as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act.
The Tanimu Turaki-led PDP in a statement on Friday, welcomed the judgment. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP said the judgment reaffirms the fact that the opposition party convention, which produced the current NWC, was conducted in compliance with its constitution and the extant laws of the country.
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The statement read: “The party welcomes this judgment as a vindication of both fact and law. It reaffirms the obvious fact that the Ibadan convention was conducted properly, transparently, and in full compliance with the party’s constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We commend the Honourable Court for its courage and fidelity to justice.
We reaffirm our faith in the Nigerian judiciary as an independent arbiter and the last hope of the ordinary citizen.
“The party remains committed to pursuing all legitimate legal avenues to ensure that justice is fully served, and we are confident that the appellate courts will, in like manner, uphold the law without fear or favour, affection or ill will.”
However, a faction of the party loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Nyesom Wike, dismissed the Oyo High Court judgment as a “mere academic exercise.” The faction, in a statement by Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary, said the judgment is not binding on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the electoral umpire is not a party to the suit.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the said judgment does not bind Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as INEC was neither joined nor represented as a party in the suit.
“To say the least, INEC challenged the jurisdiction of the Oyo State High Court which the court later agreed in a ruling delivered by the judge and subsequently struck out the name of INEC. A judgement that does not bind INEC is of no consequence whatsoever as far as the issues at stake is concerned.
But a chieftain of the party, aA former national vice chairman, Chief Bode George, said the court ruling signals the rebirth of the party.
in an interview with Saturday Sun, George said he is happy that there are still justices in the country who can tell the truth.
Said he: “It is a reincarnation of the good spirit of the founding fathers who came together and decided, having examined how the First Republic collapsed and the Second Republic collapsed, that the two evils left behind in this country before our independence were, one, religious bigotry, and two, tribal madness which is tribalism.
”We have used these unnecessary evils to tie down the progress of this nation. And, you know, it’s also somehow affecting the judiciary, which is expected to be independent, to bring justice into play, and not injustice. So what was said in court today is a new beginning for our nation, that some people are still there who are bent on telling the truth,” he said.
George further said that the party had a National Executive Council meeting and that the Independent National Electoral Committee was present when everything was discussed, including having the national convention for the emergence of new managers of the party.
”Everything was done. INEC covered it. Now, we then went to the national convention and INEC didn’t show up. But for that particular one, because it is an internal election within the party, not an external one, if it’s a presidential election, governorship election, or whatever, they will have to cover that congress or convention, where those people will be elected, because we are going out to compete. But if it is to elect the managers of our own party, that’s our business,” he said.
The chairman of the PDP in Oyo State, Mr Dayo Ogungbenro, also welcomed the judgment. Speaking in an interview with Saturday Sun on Friday, he described the judgment as victory for truth and due process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ogungbenro said he was delighted that the court’s decision had laid to rest lingering controversies surrounding the party’s convention. He stressed that “no matter how long a lie has festered, the truth will always catch up with it.”
“As the Chairman of the ruling party in Oyo State, I can tell you that the convention followed due process . We sent a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about the convention, which the commission validly acknowledged.
“But their non-presence at the convention as an observer does not invalidate the outcomes of the convention,” Ogungbenro maintained.
