Supreme Court voids PDP Ibadan national convention over legal breaches

The Supreme Court has set aside the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025, following a split judgment delivered on Thursday.

In the majority decision, three out of five justices upheld earlier rulings that the convention was conducted in violation of a subsisting order of the Federal High Court.

The case stemmed from a suit filed by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, who alleged that he was denied access to nomination forms to contest for the position of PDP national chairman.

Justice Stephen Adah, who delivered the lead judgment, held that the party acted in “flagrant disregard” of court orders by proceeding with the convention despite judicial restrictions.

The court noted that instead of appealing the initial ruling, the PDP faction proceeded with the exercise, an action it described as an abuse of court process.

It also upheld findings of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier faulted the party for ignoring a valid court directive.

Consequently, the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP and affirmed the lower courts’ decisions.

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However, two justices dissented, arguing that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction over what they described as an internal party matter and that the issue of disobedience to court order was not properly raised by the parties.