The legal tussle over the leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is far from being over as one of the factions aligned with the Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde and led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN), on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, announced plans to appeal the judgement of the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Monday, March 9, 2026, upheld the judgment of a Federal High Court restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the PDP’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15, 2025.
The appellate court also affirmed the suspension of the party’s former National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, former National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, and Umar Bature – former National Organising Secretary among others.
While reacting to the judgment of the Court of Appeal, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the party would challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court, stressing that the national convention remained an internal affair of the party.
Ememobong also said that party leaders were already consulting on the next steps while instructing lawyers to file an appeal at the apex court.
The leadership crisis within the opposition PDP stemmed from rival faction led by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the FCT that are battling for control of the soul of the party following the outcome of the Ibadan convention that witnessed the emergence of Turaki and other members of the National Working Committee for a four-year tenure.
The convention, endorsed by PDP governors, also marked the leadership transition from former acting chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki after Damagum’s tenure ended on December 9, 2025.
But, the Wike led group outrightly rejected the outcome of the convention and went ahead on December 8, 2025, and constituted a 13-member caretaker committee headed by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu who was earlier on suspended for anti-party activities as acting National Secretary.
Attempts by both factions of the party to hold meetings at the Wadata Plaza National Secretariat of the PDP degenerated into chaos, prompting the Nigeria Police Force FCT command to seal the building.
The two factions subsequently sought recognition from INEC, but the commission declined to recognise either side, leading to several court cases over the party’s leadership.
However, the Court of Appeal in it’s judgment on Monday by a three-member panel led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam dismissed Turaki’s appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
The Court held that the dispute could not be dismissed as an internal party affair, since it involved violations of constitutional and statutory provisions.
The appellate court held that the PDP failed to comply with legal requirements before holding the convention, including the mandatory notice to INEC and valid congresses in at least 14 states.
The panel of Justices of the Appeal Court consequently dismissed the appeal and awarded N2 million as cost against the appellants.
The appellate court also upheld the judgement of the Federal High Court delivered by Justice James Omotosho, which barred INEC from recognising the outcome of the national convention in Ibadan until the party complied with legal provisions.
The Court of Appeal also affirmed the judgement of another Federal High Court delivered by Justice Peter Lifu directing the PDP to allow former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido to contest the party’s national chairmanship.
The court held that the PDP acted in contempt by proceeding with the convention despite the subsisting court order.
