The Supreme Court has invalidated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025, dealing a decisive setback to the faction led by Tanimu Turaki, and supported by the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde.
The controversial convention, which produced a parallel set of national executives under Turaki’s leadership, had been mired in legal battles long before the apex court delivered its final judgment.
Despite being conducted in defiance of subsisting court orders, the PDP proceeded with the Ibadan gathering, where the factional leadership emerged. A Federal High Court had earlier restrained the party from holding the convention, citing violations of its constitution and failure to follow due process. The court also highlighted unresolved disputes from state congresses and the exclusion of some aspirants, which it said undermined the legitimacy of the exercise.
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Ignoring the directive, the convention went ahead, triggering a fresh round of litigation. The Court of Appeal later upheld the Federal High Court’s ruling, maintaining that the exercise contravened valid court orders and that its outcomes were legally untenable.
Unhappy with the lower courts’ decisions, the Turaki-led faction escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the judgments and legitimize both the convention and the executives it produced.
However, the apex court has now affirmed the earlier rulings by voiding the Ibadan convention, effectively bringing an end to the prolonged legal dispute and nullifying the legitimacy of the factional leadership that emerged from the exercise.