Court of Appeal dismisses PDP appeals, affirms orders against controversial 2025 convention

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has delivered a significant legal blow to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dismissing multiple appeals challenging court orders that restrained its disputed national convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.

In unanimous rulings on Monday, a three-member panel upheld Federal High Court decisions and imposed ₦2 million in costs against the party, describing one of the appeals as frivolous.

The appellate court dismissed the PDP’s appeal against Justice James Omotosho’s October 31, 2025 judgment, which had restrained INEC from recognising the convention’s outcome.

Justice Omotosho had ruled in favour of three aggrieved party members—Austin Nwachukwu, Amah Abraham Nnanna, and Turnah Alabh George—finding that the PDP failed to comply with its constitution and electoral laws before organising the convention.

The Court of Appeal rejected the PDP’s argument that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction, holding that the suit involved protecting democratic rights and ensuring legal compliance.

It also affirmed that the plaintiffs possessed the legal standing (locus standi) to file the suit and dismissed claims that the party was denied fair hearing.

In a separate ruling, the court affirmed Justice Peter Lifu’s November 14, 2025 judgment, which barred the PDP from conducting its convention without including former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido as a candidate for national chairman.

The appellate court held that the PDP proceeded with its convention in contempt of a valid subsisting court order, emphasising that no party can unilaterally decide which court orders to obey or ignore.

“The convention was conducted in clear disregard of the authority of the court,” the justices stated, adding that the party should have sought a stay of execution or appealed before going ahead.

The PDP went ahead with its Ibadan convention despite both restraining orders, a decision that has fuelled the party’s ongoing leadership crisis and internal factional disputes.

The court imposed an additional ₦2 million in costs against the party in this appeal.

Rival factions within the PDP were observed during proceedings, with one group led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki and another by Abdulrahman Mohammed. Notably, Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the Mohammed-led National Working Committee, was seen exchanging pleasantries with Turaki before the ruling.

The judgments come amid a prolonged leadership struggle within Nigeria’s main opposition party, with competing factions claiming control of the party’s national structure.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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