A Federal High Court in Ibadan yesterday ruled in favour of the Nyesom Wike-aligned faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), nullifying the November 2025 national convention held by a rival faction of the party.
The opposing faction, led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has announced that it will appeal the decision.
Presiding Judge Justice Uche Agomoh, in a ruling on Friday, nullified the PDP’s National Convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025.
The court barred Turaki and all officials elected from that convention from parading themselves as national officers of the party.
Justice Agomoh held that the convention was conducted in “flagrant disobedience” to two subsisting judgments from a court of coordinate jurisdiction. The judge described the suit filed by the Turaki faction—which sought recognition for the convention and its elected National Working Committee (NWC)—as a “brazen attempt to legitimise illegalities” and dismissed the application.
Consequently, the court ruled that the caretaker committee led by Umar Iliya Damagum (referred to as Abdulrahman in some reports) and Senator Samuel Anyanwu is “the only lawful governing body of PDP” that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should recognize.
The ruling has elicited starkly contrasting reactions from the two warring factions.
The Turaki Faction’s Appeal
Kabiru Turaki, addressing the media in Abuja, announced an immediate appeal. He argued that the court granted reliefs “that were neither prayed for nor canvassed by any of the parties” and that the judgment conflicts with other subsisting court orders.
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“We have filed a Notice of Appeal as well as a Motion for Stay of Execution of the judgement,” Turaki stated. He downplayed the ruling’s immediate impact, calling it “technically speaking, academic,” pending a final pronouncement from the appellate courts.
The faction urged its members to remain calm, with its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stating there was “absolutely no cause for alarm.”
The Wike Faction’s Victory Lap
In contrast, the Wike-aligned camp hailed the judgment as a triumph for the rule of law. Their counsel, Chief Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), said the ruling “affirmed that the rule of law must prevail over political expediency.”
The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Haruna Mohammed, in a statement, commended the court for the “landmark Judgment,” describing it as “a decisive victory for the rule of law, constitutionalism, and internal party democracy.” He emphasized that the ruling nullified “the conduct, outcome, and entire proceedings” of the Ibadan convention.
Background and Implications
The legal battle is the latest chapter in the deep-seated factional crisis that has plagued Nigeria’s main opposition party.
The Turaki faction had approached the court seeking an order of mandamus to compel INEC to recognize its convention. However, the court’s firm dismissal and validation of the rival caretaker committee have significantly altered the political calculus within the PDP.
With an appeal already in motion, the final chapter of this leadership struggle is set to be written at the Court of Appeal, leaving the party’s structure and recognition in a state of suspended animation until a higher court makes an authoritative pronouncement.
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