Supreme Court Voids Ibadan Convention Sacking Tanimu Turaki Faction From PDP Leadership

The Supreme Court has nullified the PDP Ibadan convention and sacked the Tanimu Turaki-led executive for violating a Federal High Court restraining order.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 30, 2026, 10:12 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Naija News

Judicial Rebuke for Contemptuous Convention

The legal battle for the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party reached a definitive end at the Supreme Court on Thursday. In a split decision, the apex court nullified the national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025. The justices ruled that the exercise, which installed Tanimu Turaki, SAN, as a factional leader, was a product of legal defiance. By a majority of three to five, the court determined that the appeal filed by the Turaki faction was entirely without merit, as it sought to validate an event held in direct opposition to the judiciary.

Upholding the Sanctity of Court Orders

Justice Stephen Adah, delivering the majority decision, emphasized that the appellants deliberately bypassed a subsisting order from the Federal High Court. That lower court had explicitly restrained the party from proceeding with the Ibadan gathering, citing significant procedural failures and breaches of the party’s own constitution. The Supreme Court’s affirmation highlights a critical judicial principle, that no political entity can use internal autonomy as a shield to ignore valid court injunctions without facing the total invalidation of their actions.

Affirmation of Concurrent Lower Court Rulings

This final verdict serves as a validation of the findings previously reached by both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal. Those courts had already identified that the convention was marred by the exclusion of eligible aspirants and unresolved disputes stemming from state congresses. By upholding these concurrent judgments, the Supreme Court has signaled that the lack of due process and the failure to resolve internal grievances are fatal to the legitimacy of any political gathering.