WorldStage– The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the nullification of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in Ibadan on November 15, 2025, and imposed N2 million in costs on Turaki and his co-appellants.
In a ruling delivered today, March 9, 2026, the appellate court dismissed the appeal filed by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction, affirming that the convention was conducted in defiance of subsisting court orders.
The Court of Appeal validated the January 30, 2026, Federal High Court judgment which declared the Ibadan convention null and void.
The court barred Kabiru Turaki and other officers elected at the convention from parading themselves as national officials of the PDP.
The judgment affirms the Caretaker Committee, led by Acting National Chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu, as the only lawful governing body of the party pending a valid national convention.
The court held that the convention was conducted in “flagrant disobedience” to orders from the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had stopped the event due to the illegal exclusion of aspirants like former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.
The ruling is a significant victory for the faction aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, which had consistently challenged the legitimacy of the Turaki-led leadership.
Following the decision, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to continue its formal recognition of the Wike-backed caretaker committee for official party communications and upcoming elections.
The PDP has been embroiled in a bitter leadership dispute since late 2025, with rival factions contesting the legitimacy of the Ibadan convention. Despite existing court orders restraining the gathering, Turaki’s faction went ahead with the event, electing him and other party officers.
In January 2026, a Federal High Court in Ibadan ruled the convention null and void, citing violations of court orders and party regulations, and barred Turaki’s group from acting as the party’s national leadership.
The conflict deepened in February when an Oyo State High Court issued a separate judgment recognizing Turaki as chairman, a decision rejected by the faction aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Today’s appellate ruling in Abuja decisively sided against Turaki’s faction, affirming Abdulrahman Muhammed-led National Caretaker Working Committee as the legitimate leadership of the party and declaring the appeal “lacking in merit.”
Allies of Wike have welcomed the decision, seeing it as a reinforcement of their position.
Political analysts warn that the ruling may further deepen divisions within the PDP ahead of upcoming elections, as rival factions weigh additional legal battles or potential reconciliation efforts.
Social media reactions are already widespread, with Nigerians closely monitoring the implications for one of the country’s major political parties.
