A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention held in the state on November 15, 2025, declaring it invalid and of no legal effect.
In its ruling, the court barred members of the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) from parading themselves as national officers of the party. The court further held that the Caretaker Committee led by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the only recognised National Working Committee of the PDP pending the conduct of a valid national convention.
Delivering judgment, Justice Uche Agomoh ruled that the legitimacy of party leadership must derive strictly from compliance with the PDP Constitution, extant laws, and valid court orders. The court also specifically ordered Kabiru Turaki (SAN) and others to stop presenting themselves as national officers of the party.
Reacting to the judgment, the Wike-backed National Caretaker Committee of the PDP welcomed the ruling, describing it as a victory for the rule of law, constitutionalism, and internal party democracy. The committee, through its National Publicity Secretary, Jungude Mohammed, called on party members to embrace unity, reconciliation, and due process.
“The landmark judgment reaffirms that legitimacy in the PDP can only be derived from strict adherence to the party’s constitution, laws, and valid court orders, and not through impersonation or unlawful assertions of authority,” the statement said.
Before the court ruling, PDP governors had backed the Ibadan convention at which Turaki and other NWC members were elected for a four-year term following a transition from former chairman Umar Damagum, whose tenure was due to expire on December 9, 2025.
However, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, alongside his allies, maintained that Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Anyanwu remained Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary, respectively. The Wike-aligned faction subsequently constituted a 13-member caretaker committee on December 8, with a 60-day mandate.
The leadership crisis led both factions to seek recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which declined to recognise either group, prompting multiple court cases ahead of the 2027 general elections.
