The Supreme Court of Nigeria has invalidated the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, citing a violation of a subsisting court order. Notably, this development has been widely discussed under headlines such as Supreme Court Voids PDP Ibadan Convention.
In a split judgment delivered on Thursday, three out of five justices dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the party led by Tanimu Turaki, holding that the exercise was conducted in defiance of a valid order of court. The national news coverage emphasised the Supreme Court Voids PDP Ibadan Convention as a central issue.
Reading the lead majority decision, Justice Stephen Adah ruled that the appellants acted in “flagrant disregard” of an order issued by a Federal High Court in Abuja, which had restrained the party from proceeding with the convention.
The case, marked SC/CV/164/2026, originated from a suit filed by Sule Lamido, who challenged his exclusion from contesting the position of national chairman.
On November 11, Justice Peter Lifu granted an interim order stopping the convention, and on November 14, issued a final order restraining the party from going ahead with the event.
In his ruling, Lifu held that Lamido had been “unjustly denied” access to nomination forms, in violation of the party’s constitution and internal guidelines. That decision was subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal on March 9.
Despite the subsisting order, the PDP faction proceeded with the convention, prompting further legal challenges. With this, the Supreme Court Voids PDP Ibadan Convention became a key turning point in the party’s legal battles.
The Supreme Court held that instead of complying with the order or appealing it promptly, the appellants sought relief from another court of coordinate jurisdiction, an act the justices described as an abuse of court process.
“Orders of courts must be obeyed and remain binding until set aside,” the court ruled, affirming the decision of the lower courts and dismissing the appeal. Therefore, the outcome was that Supreme Court Voids PDP Ibadan Convention, upholding judicial authority and party regulations.
However, in a dissenting judgment, Justice Simon Tsammani argued that the issue of disobedience to a court order was not raised by the parties but introduced by the court itself. He also held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction over what he described as an internal party matter.
Justice Sadiq Umar aligned with the dissenting view.
The ruling has significant implications for the PDP’s leadership structure, potentially reopening internal disputes and affecting the party’s preparations ahead of future elections.
