Supreme Court Reserves Judgment in Turaki-Led PDP Faction’s Appeal Over Ibadan Convention Nullification

The Supreme Court halts verdict on the Turaki-led PDP faction's appeal to validate the nullified 2025 Ibadan convention. Read the full judicial update.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 22, 2026, 8:48 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from LEADERSHIP News

Apex Court Postpones Final Verdict

The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reached a critical pause as the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on two high-stakes appeals. On Wednesday, a five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Lawal Garba, announced that a date for the final ruling would be communicated at a later time. This followed the formal adoption of final written submissions by legal counsel representing the faction led by Kabiru Turaki, SAN. The decision will determine the legal legitimacy of the party's current administrative structure following months of internal fractures.

Legal Challenge to the Ibadan Convention

The Turaki-led faction is fighting to overturn a March 9 verdict from the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal. That ruling upheld previous judicial decisions that nullified the PDP’s national convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State. Before the Supreme Court, the appellants argued that the convention was an "internal party matter" and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the courts. They maintained that due process was strictly followed; however, these claims have been repeatedly rejected by lower courts that cited significant violations of the Electoral Act.

Judicial Findings of Procedural Violations

Lower courts have consistently found that the PDP failed to meet statutory requirements for its 2025 convention. Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja previously ruled that the party did not conduct valid state congresses as required by its own constitution and Nigerian law. Consequently, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was restrained from recognizing any outcomes of the exercise. These rulings also led to court-ordered restrictions on physical access to the party’s national secretariat, further paralyzing the opposition's operations.