PDP Crisis: Supreme Court Reserves Judgement In Turaki-led Faction’s Appeal

The Supreme Court has reserved judgement in two appeals filed by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki, SAN, challenging earlier court rulings that nullified the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025.

A five-member panel of the apex court justices, headed by Justice Lawal Garba, announced that a date for the judgement would be communicated to all parties after lawyers adopted their final written submissions.

The Turaki-led faction is seeking to overturn the March 9 decision of the Abuja Division of Court of Appeal’s verdict, which upheld earlier judgements invalidating the convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025.

Before the Supreme Court, the appellants argued that the dispute was an internal party matter and therefore not subject to judicial intervention, maintaining that due process was followed in organising the convention.

However, lower courts had consistently ruled against the faction, nullifying the exercise, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising its outcome, and issuing orders affecting access to the party’s national secretariat building.

The appellate court had earlier affirmed two decisions of the Federal High Court Abuja, which barred the PDP from conducting the convention pending compliance with the Electoral Act and the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.

In one of the rulings, Justice James Omotosho held that the party failed to conduct valid state congresses in line with its constitution and the law, thereby invalidating the convention.

Similarly, Justice Peter Lifu restrained the party from proceeding with the national convention exercise until it allowed former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, to participate in the national chairmanship race, ruling that he had been unjustly excluded.

The suits that culminated in the conflicting judgements were filed by aggrieved party members, including state executives from Imo and Abia States, and the South-South zone, deepening the leadership crisis now before the apex court.