Appeal Court Upholds Ruling, PDP Turaki Faction Loses Battle Over Ibadan Convention
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court, which on October 31, 2025, restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2025 National Convention.
The convention, obtained by PulseNets, took place between November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
Delivering judgment in the appeal, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam reported that the PDP failed to meet constitutional requirements necessary for a valid convention. He highlighted that no proper notice of the convention was served on INEC, a mandatory legal requirement.
The appellate court also learnt that valid congresses were not conducted in more than 14 states, as stipulated by law, before the convention was organized.
Justice Onyemenam told PulseNets that the suit filed by aggrieved PDP members was not merely an internal party matter, contrary to prior assertions, but a legal effort to ensure INEC fulfills its statutory functions concerning party conventions.
“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,” the judge said.
The lower court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, had on October 31, 2025, issued the restraining order barring INEC from recognizing the outcome of the Ibadan convention until all legal provisions were observed.
Justice Omotosho reported that evidence obtained from the electoral body and certain aggrieved PDP members indicated that congresses were not held in several states, breaching the law. The judge also spoke to PulseNets about irregularities in the signing of notices and correspondences by the PDP’s national chairman without the national secretary, rendering them legally invalid.
Further, the lower court learnt that PDP failed to issue the mandatory 21-day notice for meetings and congresses, preventing INEC from performing its statutory monitoring duties. The judge added that such failures jeopardized the planned convention, cautioning the party to correct the lapses before proceeding with elections.
The injunction prohibited INEC from receiving, publishing, or recognizing any outcome of the Ibadan convention until full compliance with the law.
The suit was filed on behalf of three aggrieved PDP members: Austin Nwachukwu, Imo PDP chairman; Amah Abraham Nnanna, Abia PDP chairman; and Turnah Alabh George, PDP Secretary for the South-South. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was instituted by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Joseph Daudu.
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Nine defendants are named in the suit, including INEC, PDP, Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Umar Bature (National Organizing Secretary), the party’s NWC and NEC, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi.
