THE Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the Federal High Court’s (FHC) nullification of its November 2025 National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, saying there is “no cause for alarm.”
The FHC had on Friday, January 30, nullified the convention and barred Kabiru Turaki and other party leaders from acting as its national officers.
Reacting to the ruling, the PDP insisted its leadership remained legally intact.
In a statement released shortly after the ruling, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the PDP had instructed its lawyers to immediately file an appeal and pursue all necessary legal actions.
“We are aware of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, delivered this morning, which essentially declined to grant the order of mandamus sought on the ground that doing so would, in the court’s view, amount to sitting on appeal over judgments of courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
“We have accordingly briefed our lawyers to immediately file an appeal and to take all further legal steps necessary to advance our arguments and firmly protect our position on this matter,” the statement read.
The party urged its members to remain steadfast, assuring that “the rebirth movement” remains firmly on course.
“Notwithstanding this judgment, the Kabiru Turaki–led Peoples Democratic Party, which emerged from the Ibadan Convention, remains legally intact and unshaken, as we await the authoritative pronouncement of the appellate courts,” the PDP added.
The ruling casts doubts over the legitimacy of the PDP’s national leadership ahead of the 2027 elections, but the party remains optimistic about its legal options.
The ruling came amid earlier legal hurdles for the Turaki-led PDP leadership.
On December 22, 2025, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected requests to recognise the party’s new National Working Committee (NWC), citing existing court judgments and unresolved legal processes.
The INEC referenced two Federal High Court rulings in Abuja in October and November 2025, which restrained the commission from giving effect to the outcome of the Ibadan convention.
The electoral commission noted that pending appeals did not automatically stay the execution of these judgments and emphasised that it remained bound by the law. A letter signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, explained that, in light of ongoing suits, the commission could not update or recognise the list of national officers elected at the Ibadan convention.
Crises rocking the party dates back to the pre-2023 general elections. The current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, had led a group of five governors against some of the party’s stalwarts, especially the former Vice President Atiku Ababakar, who was bent on getting the party’s presidential ticket.
Wike had argued that the presidency should return to the South, since the then president, Muhammadu Buhari (now deceased), who ruled for eight years was from the North.
Abubakar refused to yield to arguments by Wike and his allies. The former vice president went on clinch the PDP ticket, with Wike trailing as runner up.
Former Lagos State governor and one of the leading chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, picked his party’s presidential ticket and defeated Abubakar, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party at the poll.
Wike refused to support his party’s candidate – Abubakar – but the APC during the election, making Rivers State the only state in the South-South region of the country won by the ruling party.
Tinubu consequently rewarded him with a ministerial position, giving him a plum role of FCT minister. Wike has since remained the PDP member.
While he is very influential in the APC government, he has refused to leave his party. Some PDP governors and chieftains have since been at war with the minister, who they claim should quit their party since he has been canvassing for re-election of his principal – Tinubu – and urging Nigerians to vote for the APC.
They also ascribe a chunk of the party’s misfortunes to his alleged anti-party activities.
Among those voicing their concerns and locking horns with the minister are Oyo and Bauchi state governors, Seyi Makinde and Bala Muhammed, respectively, and the party’s former Deputy National Chairman, Bode George.
Wike, Makinde and Mohammed have publicly exchanged tantrums over the party’s continuous loss of its members and growing unpopularity.
Several members of the PDP including governors have left for the ruling APC and other opposition parties since the crises escalated.
Atiku Abubakar was among the prominent members to dump the PDP in 2025. He left for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) where he hopes to vie for the Presidency for the record seventh time. He has contested for the exalted seat six times and failed.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M