WIKE FACTION KICKS AS OYO COURT UPHOLDS IBADAN PDP NATIONAL CONVENTION
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By: Sefiu Ajape
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike-backed faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, on Friday rejected the judgment of an Oyo State High Court which upheld the party’s 2025 National Convention held in Ibadan, the state capital.
The faction described the ruling as inconsequential and a mere academic exercise, insisting that the November convention remained invalid.
However, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee, a product of the convention, hailed the judgment as a triumph for internal democracy and party cohesion, praising the court for its “bravery and commitment to upholding justice.”
Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, in a ruling delivered on Friday in Suit No. I/1336/2025, affirmed the validity of the November 15 and 16, 2025 convention, which produced Turaki as substantive National Chairman.
The court upheld the amended originating summons filed by Musibau Adetunmbi, SAN, on behalf of Folahan Malomo Adelabi, and granted all 13 reliefs sought. It ruled that the convention complied with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and other relevant laws.
Justice Akintola also dismissed motions seeking a stay of proceedings and suspension of the ruling filed by Sunday Ibrahim, SAN, on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two others. The court had earlier rejected their application for joinder, describing it as lacking merit.
Among the issues considered by the court was whether the first to third defendants were entitled, under Articles 33(7), 47(1) and (2) of the party’s constitution (as amended in 2017) and Section 223(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, “to truncate, frustrate, disrupt, prevent or stop the convention.”
The court further held that the first defendant (PDP) had complied with all necessary requirements, including issuing the requisite statutory notice for the National Convention.
In granting the reliefs, the court declared that, by virtue of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), “the defendants were under an obligation to ensure that the claimant’s right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association was not infringed.”
It also ruled that any failure to conduct the convention would amount to an infringement of that constitutional right. The court affirmed that pursuant to Sections 223(1)(a) and 223(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, Section 82(1) and (2)(a) of the Electoral Act 2022, and the notice issued to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on August 29, 2025, “all necessary modalities and conditions for the holding the convention had been duly satisfied,” irrespective of whether INEC monitored the exercise.
In a consequential declaration, the court held that the convention convened on November 15 and 16, 2025, pursuant to its orders of November 3 and 14, “was legal and valid.” It ruled that as INEC was a party at the time the interim orders were made and renewed, “the outcome of the convention was binding on the commission” and that it was obliged to give effect to all decisions reached thereat.
Justice Akintola added that the convention, organised by the recognised leadership of the party, “satisfied all laid-down legal requirements as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act,” finding no breach of due process or statutory non-compliance.
In a swift reaction, the Wike-backed National Caretaker Working Committee said the verdict “lacked binding effect on the Independent National Electoral Commission.” In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, the faction insisted that the judgment “could not stand.”
“The judgment reportedly delivered by the Oyo State High Court is an inconsequential development and is best described as a mere academic exercise. For the avoidance of doubt, the said judgment does not bind the Independent National Electoral Commission as INEC was neither joined nor represented as a party in the suit,” the statement read.
The faction argued that INEC had already complied with earlier judgments of the Federal High Court in Abuja and Ibadan restraining the commission from attending, monitoring or recognising the outcome of the convention. “A judgment that does not bind INEC is of no consequence whatsoever,” it added, noting that arrangements for a fresh National Convention were at an advanced stage.
Meanwhile, the Turaki-led NWC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, welcomed the ruling, saying it “affirmed and gave final effect to earlier orders.”
“The party welcomes this judgment as a vindication of both fact and law. It reaffirms the obvious fact that the Ibadan convention was conducted properly, transparently, and in full compliance with the party’s constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We commend the Honourable Court for its courage and fidelity to justice. We reaffirm our faith in the Nigerian judiciary as an independent arbiter and the last hope of the ordinary citizen. The party remains committed to pursuing all legitimate legal avenues to ensure that justice is fully served, and we are confident that the appellate courts will, in like manner, uphold the law without fear or favour, affection, or ill will,” the statement read in part.
On January 30, a Federal High Court in Ibadan annulled the PDP National Convention held on November 15, 2025, and directed Turaki and others to stop parading themselves as national officers. Prior to that ruling, PDP governors had endorsed the Ibadan convention, which elected Turaki and members of the NWC for a four-year term.
A faction loyal to Wike subsequently formed a 13-member caretaker committee on December 8, appointing Mohammed Abdulrahman as Acting National Chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as Acting Secretary, with a 60-day mandate. Efforts by both factions to meet at Wadata Plaza on November 18, 2025, degenerated into chaos, and the police sealed the PDP National Secretariat.
Both factions approached INEC for recognition, but the commission declined to acknowledge either side, triggering prolonged legal battles ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amid the dispute, the Wike-backed caretaker committee announced on February 3 that a fresh National Convention to elect new PDP leaders would take place in Abuja from March 29 to 30. On February 12, the Court of Appeal heard all consolidated cases regarding the PDP leadership crisis and reserved judgment, with the date to be communicated to the parties.
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