The Court of Appeal, Abuja has upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the PDP led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki. The faction had challenged the jurisdiction of the lower court to hear the suit.
The appeal was part of nine harmonised appeals by the Turaki-led faction against the October 31, 2025 judgment of the Federal High Court, which barred INEC from validating the outcome of the party’s November 15–16, 2025 national convention.
The Court of Appeal affirmed that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction, rejecting claims that the dispute was merely an internal party affair. Justice Onyemenam noted that the appellants could not “repackage a clear violation of the party constitution and that of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as an internal party affair.”
The court further found that the PDP failed to comply with constitutional and statutory provisions required for a valid national convention. Among the findings:
No valid notice of the convention was served on INEC as required by law.
Valid congresses were not conducted in more than 14 states prior to the convention.
The appellate court stressed that compliance with the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022, and party constitution and guidelines is fundamental to democratic governance. “Non-compliance … are at the heart of democratic governance, and compliance must be strictly enforced in the interest of democracy,” the ruling stated.
The appeal was consequently dismissed, with N2 million awarded in costs against the appellants.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had previously restrained INEC from receiving, publishing, or recognising the convention’s outcome until the party complied with the law. The trial judge highlighted failures including the non-conduction of congresses in some states and the absence of the mandatory 21-day notice for INEC monitoring. Notices issued by the party’s National Chairman without the endorsement of the National Secretary were also ruled invalid.
The suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by three aggrieved PDP members: Austin Nwachukwu, Amah Abraham Nnanna, and Turnah Alabh George. Their counsel, Joseph Daudu, sought to halt the convention where new national officers were to be elected.
Defendants in the suit included INEC, the PDP, its National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Baturrle, the PDP National Working Committee, National Executive Committee, Acting National Chairman Umar Iliya Damagum, and other party officials including Ali Odefa and Emmanuel Ogidi.
