Supreme Court Voids PDP Ibadan Convention, Wike-Backed Group Wins

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has put an end — at least legally — to the Turaki faction’s claim to lead the Peoples Democratic Party. In a 3-2 split judgment delivered Thursday, the apex court invalidated the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, ruling that it was conducted in contempt of a subsisting Federal High Court order.

Court Finds Flagrant Disobedience

Justice Stephen Adah, who delivered the lead judgment in appeal number SC/CV/164/2026, was unsparing. The Turaki-led faction proceeded with the Ibadan convention despite a restraining order from Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, which had directed the party to hold off pending compliance with earlier directives.

“The disobedience of the court order is not disputed,” Justice Adah held, calling what transpired “a threat to the administration of justice in Nigeria.”

The court dismissed both the appeal and cross-appeals, ordering each party to bear its costs. Two justices dissented, but the majority carried the day.

Wike’s Faction Now the Recognised PDP

The ruling clears the path for the Wike-aligned faction — led by Abdulrahman Mohammed as national chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as secretary, both products of the March 2026 convention — to be the INEC-recognised PDP leadership heading into 2027.

For Tanimu Turaki (SAN) and the faction that staked everything on Ibadan, the judgment is a political death sentence. The convention they convened in defiance of court orders has now been formally condemned at the highest level of the Nigerian judiciary.

What This Means for 2027

The PDP has been locked in this leadership battle since mid-2025, with two factions each claiming legitimacy, staging competing conventions, and scrambling for INEC recognition. With the Supreme Court settling the Ibadan question, the Wike-backed group now controls the party apparatus — including its secretariat — going into campaign season.

Whether Turaki’s supporters accept this verdict or continue to fight in lower courts remains to be seen. Nigerian politics rarely ends with a single court ruling. But for now, the Ibadan convention is dead, and the Wike faction has won this round decisively.

Sources: Punch, Channels TV, Premium Times