Supreme Court on Thursday nullified the Ibadan national convention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), effectively dismantling the leadership structure of the faction led by Tanimu Turaki.
The apex court, in a unanimous decision delivered in the capital, ruled that the convention was held in “flagrant disregard” of existing judicial orders and the party’s internal constitution. The judgment brings a sudden halt to the Turaki-led group’s claim to the party’s national executive, plunging the main opposition body into further legal uncertainty.
The Ibadan convention had been the subject of protracted legal disputes prior to the Supreme Court’s verdict.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held the convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025, where a factional leadership led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, emerged.
However, the exercise was conducted amid subsisting court orders restraining the party from proceeding with the gathering.
A Federal High Court had earlier barred the convention, citing breaches of the party’s constitution and the failure to comply with due process, including unresolved disputes arising from state congresses. The court also noted that certain aspirants were excluded from the process, rendering it defective.
Despite the order, the convention went ahead, prompting further litigation. The Court of Appeal subsequently upheld the decision of the lower court, affirming that the exercise was held in violation of valid judicial pronouncements and that its outcome could not stand.
Dissatisfied with the concurrent judgments, the Turaki-led faction approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria, seeking to overturn the rulings and validate the convention as well as the executives it produced.
The apex court’s decision to void the Ibadan convention has now effectively affirmed the earlier judgments, putting to rest the legal tussle over the legitimacy of the factional leadership that emerged from the exercise.
