The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved judgment in an appeal filed by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Taminu Turaki, challenging the nullification of the party’s national convention held last year in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Garba Mohammed, announced that a date for the ruling would be communicated to all parties after counsel adopted their written briefs.
The appeal was brought by members of the party’s national executive who emerged from the disputed convention. They are seeking to overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision, which voided the exercise on the grounds that it was conducted in defiance of a valid court order.
Arguing for the appellants, lead counsel Paul Erokoro (SAN) urged the Supreme Court to allow the appeal and dismiss a cross-appeal filed by a rival faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
However, respondents, including Sule Lamido, represented by J. C. Njikonye (SAN), and the Wike-backed group, represented by Joseph Daudu (SAN), filed preliminary objections seeking dismissal of the appeal.
They argued that the matter goes beyond the PDP’s internal affairs and falls within the jurisdiction of the courts. Lamido maintained that participating in the convention would have violated a subsisting court order that protected his rights.
The dispute stems from a 2026 ruling by Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who restrained the then National Executive Committee led by Iliya Damagum from proceeding with the convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan.
Justice Lifu had directed that the exercise be halted until Lamido was allowed to purchase nomination forms and contest for the position of national chairman.
Despite the order, the PDP went ahead with the convention, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction over what it described as an internal party matter.
