An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has upheld the legality of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention conducted in November 2025 in the Oyo State capital, affirming the emergence of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki as the party’s substantive National Chairman. The ruling marks a significant development in the protracted leadership crisis that has engulfed the opposition party in recent months.
In a detailed judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Ladiran Akintola sustained the amended originating summons filed by Musibau Adetunmbi (SAN) on behalf of the claimant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi. The court granted all 13 reliefs sought in the suit, declaring that the convention held on November 15, 2025, was conducted in full compliance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and other applicable electoral statutes and regulations.
Justice Akintola held that the processes leading to the convention, as well as the conduct of the elective exercise itself, satisfied constitutional and statutory requirements. By this determination, the court effectively validated the leadership structure produced at the convention, including the National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Turaki.
In addition to upholding the convention, the court dismissed a series of procedural applications filed by opposing parties. Specifically, motions seeking a stay of proceedings and suspension of the judgment, brought by Sunday Ibrahim (SAN) on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two others, were rejected. The court found no merit in their arguments and declined to grant the requested reliefs.
Earlier in the proceedings, the same court had refused an application for joinder filed by the same parties, describing it as incompetent and lacking in substance. That decision cleared the way for the substantive issues to be determined without their participation in the suit.
A central component of the ruling was a directive to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The court ordered the electoral body to recognise and give full legal effect to the resolutions and outcomes of the November 2025 convention. This includes formal acknowledgment of the National Working Committee led by Turaki as the legitimate leadership of the party.
The judgment represents the latest chapter in a complex and high-stakes legal contest over control of the Peoples Democratic Party, one of Nigeria’s major opposition political parties. The dispute arose following the November 15, 2025, elective convention in Ibadan, which produced Turaki as national chairman amid internal disagreements and parallel claims to authority.
However, the matter is far from settled. On January 30, 2026, the Federal High Court in Ibadan, presided over by Justice Uche Agomoh, delivered a contrary ruling nullifying the same convention. That court held that the exercise was conducted in defiance of subsisting court orders and therefore lacked legal validity. As part of its decision, the Federal High Court barred Turaki and other officials elected at the convention from presenting themselves as national officers of the party.
The existence of these conflicting judgments has intensified uncertainty within the party’s hierarchy. While the Oyo State High Court has now affirmed the convention and Turaki’s leadership, the earlier nullification by the Federal High Court created a parallel legal narrative that continues to fuel factional divisions.
The internal schism within the PDP remains pronounced. One faction aligns firmly behind Turaki and the leadership produced at the Ibadan convention. Another bloc is reportedly aligned with Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, which has dismissed the latest Oyo High Court ruling as lacking practical consequence. This faction maintains that the earlier Federal High Court decision remains decisive and binding pending appellate review.
The overlapping court pronouncements have created a complex procedural situation that can only be conclusively resolved by higher judicial authority. Multiple appeals stemming from the dispute are currently pending before the Court of Appeal in Abuja. The appellate court has reserved judgment, leaving the final determination of the PDP’s national leadership unresolved for the time being.
Legal analysts note that the case raises significant questions concerning jurisdiction, the hierarchy of courts, and the interpretation of compliance with electoral and constitutional provisions. The interplay between state high courts and the Federal High Court in political party disputes has also come under scrutiny, particularly where conflicting judgments emerge on the same subject matter.
For the PDP, the stakes are substantial. Prolonged leadership instability may affect party cohesion, strategic planning, and public perception ahead of future electoral contests. Recognition by INEC is particularly critical, as it determines which faction is authorised to submit candidates, manage party affairs, and engage in official electoral processes.
Until the Court of Appeal delivers its verdict—and potentially the Supreme Court thereafter—the party’s leadership question remains legally fluid. The Oyo State High Court’s affirmation provides significant relief to Turaki and his supporters, but it does not extinguish the broader litigation.
In effect, the PDP’s internal crisis has transitioned from a political contest to a complex judicial battle. The ultimate resolution now rests with the appellate courts, whose forthcoming decisions will define the lawful leadership of the party and determine the binding effect of the conflicting lower court rulings.
