The Court of Appeal has upheld the 31 October 2025 ruling of the Federal High Court, which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was then planned for 15 and 16 November in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
In a unanimous judgement on Monday in Abuja, the three-member panel of the appellate court resolved the four issues for determination against the PDP.
The court held that the appeal by a faction of the PDP was without merit and that the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, was right to have delivered the 31 October judgement and granted all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.
The Court of Appeal faulted the PDP’s claim that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case on the grounds that the issues involved were solely the internal affairs of the party.
It also held that the plaintiffs had the locus standi (the right) to institute the suit to protect their democratic rights and that the PDP was not denied fair hearing, as it claimed in its appeal.
The court further awarded N2 million as costs against the PDP (the Tanimu Turaki-led leadership elected at the disputed convention) for filing a frivolous appeal.
The court said it would hear other judgements and rulings of the party.
Some PDP leaders from both sides were present as the appellate court delivered judgement. They included Turaki and the caretaker chairman of the other group, Hon. Mohammed Abdulrahman. Also in court was the National Secretary of the Abdulrahman-led national working committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
Last October, Justice Omotosho had ruled in favour of three aggrieved members of the party, who filed the suit against the party. He restrained INEC from accepting a report on the outcome of any national convention of the party without following the due process of the law, as well as its guidelines and regulations.
The judge held that INEC is not entitled to give effect to the convention if a party has not done so in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the guidelines/regulations of political parties.
The plaintiffs instituted the suit seeking to stop the planned national convention, where new national officers were expected to be elected on the grounds of breach of the party’s Constitution.
The nine defendants are: INEC, the PDP, Anyanwu, Umar Bature, National Organising Secretary of the party, the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi.
