The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld a ruling by the Federal High Court restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognizing the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party national convention held in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria.
In a unanimous decision delivered Monday by a three-member panel led by Uchechukwu Onyemenam, the appellate court dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the PDP led by former Minister of Special Duties Kabiru Turaki. The faction had challenged the jurisdiction of the lower court to hear the case.
The appeal was part of nine harmonized cases filed by the Turaki-led faction against an Oct. 31, 2025 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja that barred the electoral commission from validating the outcome of the PDP’s Nov. 15–16, 2025 national convention in Ibadan.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the Federal High Court had the authority to hear the suit, rejecting arguments that the dispute was merely an internal party matter.
The court said the appellants could not “repackage a clear violation of the party constitution and that of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as an internal party affair.”
Justice Onyemenam said the PDP failed to comply with constitutional and statutory provisions required to hold a valid national convention.
Among the findings, the court said the party failed to give valid notice of the convention to INEC as required by law and did not conduct valid congresses in more than 14 states before holding the convention.
The court stressed that adherence to the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 and the party’s constitution and guidelines is essential to democratic governance.
“Non-compliance with the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022 and party Constitution and Guidelines are at the heart of democratic governance, and compliance must be strictly enforced in the interest of democracy,” the court said.
The appellate court dismissed the appeal and awarded 2 million naira in costs against the appellants.
In the earlier ruling on Oct. 31, 2025, James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had restrained INEC from receiving, publishing or recognizing the outcome of the convention until the party complied with relevant legal provisions.
The judge ruled that evidence showed congresses were not conducted in some states and that the PDP failed to issue the mandatory 21-day notice required for INEC to monitor its meetings and congresses.
Omotosho also held that notices and correspondence issued by the party’s national chairman without the endorsement of the national secretary were invalid.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by three PDP members: Austin Nwachukwu, chairman of the party in Imo State; Amah Abraham Nnanna, chairman in Abia State; and Turnah Alabh George, the party’s South-South zonal secretary.
Through their lawyer, Joseph Daudu, the plaintiffs asked the court to stop the planned convention where new national officers of the party were expected to be elected.
Defendants in the suit included INEC; the PDP; the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; National Organising Secretary, Umar Baturrle; the PDP National Working Committee; National Executive Committee; Acting National Chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum; and party officials Ali Odefa and Emmanuel Ogidi.
