The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Thursday as a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan nullified the party’s National Convention held in the Oyo State capital on November 15, 2025.
In a far-reaching decision, the court invalidated the convention that culminated in the emergence of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as National Chairman of the opposition party. The court further restrained Turaki and other officials elected at the convention from presenting themselves as members of the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC).
The Ibadan convention had been characterised by intense internal wrangling, with rival factions locked in open disagreement over the process. Security was heavily reinforced at the venue as tensions flared, leading to brief disruptions before voting eventually took place.
Delivering its ruling, the court held that the convention failed to comply with the party’s constitution and laid-down procedures, rendering its outcome legally defective and unsustainable.
The court consequently recognised the Caretaker Committee led by Alhaji Abdulrahman, with Senator Samuel Anyanwu as Secretary, as the only legitimate national leadership of the PDP. The committee, the court ruled, is to continue overseeing the party’s affairs until a fresh National Convention is convened in line with due process.
The judgment is expected to trigger renewed strategic consultations within the PDP as leaders and stakeholders assess its implications for party stability and future electoral planning. While the party has yet to issue an official reaction, the ruling underscores the judiciary’s growing insistence on internal democracy and procedural compliance within political parties.
