Judgement day for PDP
By Victor Idajili
Today, the Court of Appeal will deliver judgment on the court cases over the party’s leadership tussle.
Two of the key cases were instituted by factions led by the National Chairman, Taminu Turaki, and the Chairman of the National C
aretaker Committee, Abdulrahman Mohammed.
The appellate court consolidated nine suits arising from the dispute and constituted a three-member panel to hear the appeals.
The panel, which concluded its hearing on February 12, reserved judgment and is expected to deliver its decision today.
At the centre of the dispute is the question of which faction constitutes the legitimate leadership and therefore has the authority to nominate candidates for next year’s elections.
The court’s decision is widely seen as one that could either stabilise or further fracture the opposition party.
Although the possibility of an appeal to the Supreme Court remains open, time may not favour the former ruling party as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed April 23 to May 30 as the period for political parties to conduct their primaries ahead of the elections.
A source close to the Turaki-led factional National Working Committee (NWC) confirmed last night that the appellate court had issued notice that judgment would be delivered today.
The appeals are principally against decisions delivered by Justices James Omotosho, Joyce Abdulmalik and Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In separate judgments, Justices Omotosho and Lifu restrained the PDP from holding the November 15 and 16, 2025 national convention from which Turaki emerged as national chairman.
The suit before Justice Omotosho, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by three aggrieved members of the party: Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman) and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, SouthSouth).
The defendants in the suit were INEC, the PDP, its National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, the NWC and the National Executive Committee (NEC).
In his judgment delivered on October 31, 2025, Justice Omotosho restrained INEC from recognising the outcome of the convention planned for Ibadan, Oyo State.
The judge held that the PDP failed to comply with relevant provisions of its constitution and applicable laws stipulating the procedures required before convening such a national convention.
Justice Omotosho also found that evidence presented by INEC and some respondents showed that congresses were not conducted in some states of the federation as required by law.
He further ruled that the signing of party notices and correspondence by the National Chairman without the counter-signature of the National Secretary violated the PDP constitution and rendered such notices invalid.
The judge also noted that the PDP failed to issue the mandatory 21-day notice to INEC for meetings and congresses, thereby preventing the electoral body from performing its statutory duty of monitoring such activities.
He warned that the party’s failure to comply with these legal requirements had jeopardised the planned convention and advised the PDP to put its house in order before proceeding with the exercise.
Justice Lifu’s judgment of November 14, 2025 arose from a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.
Lamido had sought an order stopping the convention on the grounds that he was denied the opportunity to contest for the position of national chairman.
The court upheld his claim and ordered the PDP to resolve the issues within the party before proceeding with the convention.
For more than a year, the PDP has been embroiled in litigation over the composition of its National Working Committee (NWC) in line with the party’s constitution.
At the early stage of the crisis, the party was divided over whether Senator Samuel Anyanwu should return to his position as National Secretary after his unsuccessful governorship bid in Imo State.
The matter was eventually resolved in Anyanwu’s favour after a court found no evidence that he had resigned his position before contesting the election.
However, the ruling did little to resolve the broader internal dispute as the party subsequently split into two major camps.
The Turaki faction includes Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo State) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi State), as well as Chief Bode George, Emma Ogidi, Nene Ukeje, Eddy Olafeso, Senator Duro Faseyi, Taofeek Arapaja, Ibrahim Shekarau and other prominent members of the party’s Board of Trustees.
On the other side are members of the camp loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Senator Anyanwu.
The group includes former governors Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), alongside Adeyemi Ajibade (SAN), Mohammed Abdulrahman, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah, George Turner and Chief Dan Orbih.
