A fresh legal twist has deepened the leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following a ruling of the Federal High Court in Ibadan nullifying the party’s National Convention held on November 15, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In its judgment, the court invalidated the convention and barred Kabiru Turaki and others who emerged from the exercise from parading themselves as national officers of the party. The ruling has cast a cloud over the legitimacy of the convention and the leadership structure produced from it.
Despite lingering internal disputes at the time, the PDP had gone ahead with its two-day 2025 Elective National Convention at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan. Branded #Ibadan2025, the convention attracted thousands of delegates and party leaders from across the country and was designed to usher in a new National Working Committee (NWC), including a National Chairman, to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The court’s decision has now thrown up fresh uncertainty over the party’s readiness for the next electoral cycle, as members and legal observers await clearer direction on how the judgment will affect the PDP’s national leadership framework.
Meanwhile, the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the PDP has reacted by announcing plans to challenge the judgment at the appellate level. The decision followed a separate ruling delivered on Friday by the Federal High Court in Ibadan, which declined to grant an order of mandamus sought by the faction.
According to the court, granting the request would amount to “sitting on appeal” over judgments of courts of coordinate jurisdiction. While describing the ruling as “not unexpected,” the Turaki-led faction said it would exhaust all legal options available to it.
In a statement issued on Friday and posted on X by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the faction confirmed that it has instructed its legal team to immediately file an appeal and take all necessary steps to protect its position in the matter.
Despite the setback, the group maintained that the Kabiru Turaki-led PDP, which emerged from the Ibadan Convention, remains legally intact and unshaken. It expressed confidence that the appellate courts would ultimately rule in its favour.
“We therefore urge our members to remain resolute and committed, as there is absolutely no cause for alarm. The rebirth movement remains firmly on course,” the statement said.
The latest developments come amid sustained internal battles within the PDP over leadership and factional recognition, with rival blocs turning to the courts in a bid to secure legal validation of their claims to legitimacy.
