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• Leave your ego, personal interest –Wike •Hashim calls for reconciliation
From Ndubuisi Orji and Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it would challenge the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which nullified the opposition party’s National Convention held in Ibadan, last November, at the Supreme Court.
The NWC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, noted that “the battle is not over,” and stated that there is need for the apex court to conclusively adjudicate on the issue.
The Court of Appeal, in a judgment, yesterday, nullified the convention, while upholding two judgments of the Federal High Court, in Abuja, which directed the opposition party not to go ahead with the convention, until it meets certain requirements.
The Court of Appeal yesterday, voided the National convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan on November 15 and November 16, 2025.
The Appellate Court held that it was wrong for the party to have proceeded with the convention in spite of a subsisting order not to go ahead until conditions set by the Federal High Court were complied with.
The Court unanimously upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the PDP led by a former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, which had challenged the jurisdiction of the lower court to entertain the suit.
The dismissed appeal formed part of nine harmonised appeals brought by the Turaki-led faction against the October 31, 2025 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which barred INEC from validating the outcome of the party’s November 15 and 16, 2025 national convention in Ibadan.
The appellate court in its judgment rendered yesterday, affirmed that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction to hear the suit, rejecting the argument that the dispute was merely an internal affair of the party.
It held that the appellants could not “repackage a clear violation of the party constitution and that of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as an internal party affair.”
In addition, Justice Onyemenam held that the PDP failed to comply with the constitutional and statutory provisions required before a valid national convention could be held.
Among other findings, the court stated that no valid notice of the convention was served on INEC as required by law and that valid congresses were not conducted in more than 14 states before the convention was convened.
Besides, the court stressed that compliance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the party’s constitution and guidelines is fundamental to democratic governance.
Justice Onyemenam held that “non-compliance with the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022 and party Constitution and Guidelines are at the heart of democratic governance, and compliance must be strictly enforced in the interest of democracy.”
Consequently, the appellate court dismissed the appeal and awarded N2m in costs against the appellants.
However, the Turaki led NWC, while stating the judgment is capable of inflicting hardship on PDP, said it directed its lawyer to appeal to the Supreme Court, while it consults with party organs on the way forward.
The statement read in part: “The operationalisation of this judgement will, without fail, work untold hardship on our members . To avert this, while we are consulting with critical organs of our party on the way forward, we have also instructed our lawyers to immediately take legal steps to appeal the same to the Supreme Court-being the apex court in the land; to conclusively adjudicate on this matter. We are hopeful that the apex court will expeditiously settle this matter in the interest of democracy.
“We urge our members to stand firm, trusting that soon this battle will be over and we shall be more than conquerors.
The battle to rescue our party from the hands of government agents masquerading as opposition leaders must be fought, and we are determined to do so and win.”
•Opportunity to rebuild PDP –Wike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has described the ruling as a victory for the rule of law and urged party members to abandon egos, halt litigation and embrace reconciliation.
He warned that pursuing the matter to the Supreme Court could harm the party, especially with political party primaries scheduled for April and May.
“By the time you go to the Supreme Court, you are merely causing harm to your party which you say you love.
“It is time now to say we have fought, let us drop our personal interest and make sure PDP becomes the number one opposition party.”
Wike urged aggrieved members to see the judgment as an opportunity to reconcile and chart a new path for the party.
“For me, it is an opportunity for everybody to come back and see how we can salvage the party.
“Leave your ego and personal interest. Come back and let us sit down and figure out how we can move forward together.”
Wike said the court’s dismissal of several appeals with heavy costs highlighted the need to comply with statutory provisions, the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution.
According to him, breaches of those laws meant the issue could no longer be treated as an internal party affair, making judicial intervention inevitable.
Wike added that the ruling nullified the Ibadan convention and confirmed that the tenure of the previous party officers had expired.
He said the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Caretaker Committee remained the legally recognised body managing the party’s affairs to prevent a leadership vacuum.
The minister also confirmed that preparations were underway for a fresh National Convention scheduled for March 29 and 30 in Abuja.
•Gbenga Hashim: Quarrel must now end
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the opposition party, Gbenga Hashim has implored party leaders on both sides to close ranks.
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Hashim, who is also a presidential hopeful, in his reaction to the judgment, said leaders from the contending sides had already agreed in principle to harmonise their positions through ongoing talks and negotiations. “This is a family quarrel that must now end at the Appeal Court. Leaders on both sides have agreed in principle to unite and harmonise positions in all the talks and negotiations we have heard.”
Hashim expressed optimism that the reconciliation efforts would succeed, noting that party members and Nigerians at large are looking forward to a united opposition.
He added that “We trust that this unity would be achieved by the grace of God. Nigerians earnestly expect this and posterity demands it.”
•BoT must act – Olaifa
Another party chieftain, Chief Sunday Olaifa, has urged the party’s Board of Trustees led by Adolphus Wabara to urgently resolve its leadership crisis.
The former Lagos PDP Vice Chairman (West) and current state Organising Secretary of the Dr Amos Fawole-led newly inaugurated executive committee described the ruling as a “win-win situation” that nevertheless requires urgent political intervention to stabilise the party.
“While the legitimacy of the convention that produced the Turaki-led NWC is contested, the Wike-backed leadership cannot also stand by this ruling.
“All actions taken by those suspended officers within the 30 days, including dissolving state executives and constituting another NWC, are illegal and void.
“Today’s Appeal Court judgment is a little to the left and a little to the right. You lost one, you gained one,” Olaifa said.
He said the ruling nullifying the Ibadan convention also effectively halted operations of the factional National Caretaker Committee led by Mohammed Abdulrahman.
“With the judgment stopping that committee’s operations, we must move quickly to save the soul of the PDP,” he said.
Olaifa argued that structures and congresses conducted under the disputed caretaker leadership lacked legal standing.
“Can someone who has been suspended summon a meeting to appoint a caretaker committee or dissolve executives in any state?
“The court’s affirmation of the suspension means all activities carried out by the committee are null and void. The best option is to return to the drawing board,” he said.
He insisted the caretaker committee cannot remain, adding that its dissolution of state executives and creation of new structures were illegal.
“Even ward and local government congresses conducted by the committee, as well as planned conventions, will amount to an exercise in futility,” he said.
According to Olaifa, state executives earlier dissolved by the Abdulrahman-led caretaker committee remain valid in the eyes of the judgment.
He said the only PDP organ unaffected by the ruling is the Board of Trustees led by Wabara.
“The only body not affected by the judgment is the BoT under Adolphus Wabara. The BoT is now the lifeline of the PDP.
“This body should wake up, bring both camps together and chart a new path for the survival of the party.
“If nothing is done urgently, the party may drift into the wilderness,” Olaifa warned.
He added that neither faction could claim outright victory from the judgment.
“The ruling is not a victory for any camp. We will only win if we agree to come together and return to the drawing board,” he said.
Olaifa also said the ruling has implications for the party’s ability to conduct congresses or present candidates for elections.
“Even the factional caretaker committee cannot produce candidates for elections because you cannot build something on nothing.
“Either the BoT intervenes now or we wait for the Supreme Court, as I foresee appeals heading to the apex court,” Olaifa said.
He noted that parties dissatisfied with the appellate decision still have the option of approaching the Supreme Court.
Olaifa recalled that the apex court had previously ruled that party congresses and leadership processes are largely internal affairs of political parties.
He said such precedents show the PDP leadership should resolve the crisis internally rather than prolong legal battles.
•Background
In his October 31, 2025 judgment, Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court had restrained INEC from receiving, publishing or recognising the outcome of the convention until the party complied with the relevant provisions of the law.
The trial judge held that evidence before the court showed that congresses were not conducted in some states of the federation and that the PDP failed to issue the mandatory 21-day notice required to enable INEC to monitor its meetings and congresses.
The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by three aggrieved PDP members — Austin Nwachukwu, the Imo State PDP Chairman; Amah Abraham Nnanna, the Abia State PDP Chairman; and Turnah Alabh George, the PDP Secretary for the South-South.
Listed as defendants in the suit included INEC, the PDP, the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature; the PDP National Working Committee; National Executive Committee; Acting National Chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum; Ali Odefa and Emmanuel Ogidi.
The plaintiffs, through their counsel, Joseph Daudu, had asked the court to stop the planned convention where new national officers of the party were expected to be elected.
