WorldStage– Nigeria’s Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the two appeals filed by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, announced on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, that a date for the final verdict will be communicated to all parties involved.
The Turaki faction, which enjoys the support of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, is seeking to overturn a series of lower court rulings that nullified the party’s national convention held in Ibadan on 15–16 November 2025.
The Court of Appeal and Federal High Court judgments had voided the Ibadan convention while the lower courts ruled that the convention was held in violation of valid court orders.
Specifically, one order by Justice Peter Lifu required the party to include former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido in the chairmanship race before proceeding.
Their legal team, led by Chief Chris Uche (SAN), argued that the convention was an internal party affair not subject to judicial review and that all due processes were followed.
In the second appeal, SC/CV/166/2026, the PDP, alongside its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), is contesting another Court of Appeal decision that upheld the judgment of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court. That ruling had barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring the Ibadan convention, citing non-compliance with stipulated conditions precedent.
The twin appeals sit at the heart of a widening internal crisis within the opposition party, with the validity of the Ibadan convention, and by extension, its leadership outcomes now effectively subject to the Supreme Court’s final pronouncement.
The outcome of these appeals is critical for the party’s future, as a parallel faction aligned with Nyesom Wike has already held its own convention in Abuja.The Supreme Court’s decision will determine which leadership is legitimate as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.
