The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the October 31 judgment of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The lower court had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16. The appellate court ruled that the appeal was without merit and that the Federal High Court was right to grant all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.
Crisis Within Nigeria’s Main Opposition Party
The judgment highlights and compounds a bitter leadership crisis that has plagued the PDP for over a year, raising serious questions about its organisational stability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The turmoil erupted around disagreements over who constitutes the legitimate leadership of the party. Two major factions have been locked in legal and political battles: one led by former Minister of Special Duties Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN — whose group organised the controversial Ibadan convention — and another aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, supported by some state governors and party stalwarts.
The convention in Ibadan, which produced a new National Working Committee under Turaki, was supposed to reset the party’s leadership. However, aggrieved members challenged its legality, arguing that essential party congresses were not properly conducted in several states and that statutory notices were not served on INEC as required by law.
At the same time, these internal disputes have spilled into the open. In November 2025, rival factions attempted simultaneous meetings at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, leading to chaotic scenes, police intervention, and the sealing of the party’s headquarters, further illustrating the depth of the split.
Multiple lawsuits were filed in different courts, with mixed outcomes. While the Federal High Court in Abuja restrained the party from proceeding with the convention, an Ibadan High Court briefly validated it — adding to the legal confusion.
Analysts say the prolonged crisis has already affected the party’s appeal to voters and weakened its organisational coherence, with some governors publicly urging calm even as judgment was awaited.
The latest Court of Appeal ruling now leaves the PDP in a legal and administrative limbo, with both factions facing the difficult task of reconciling or returning to court for further clarification.
Abuja Network News
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