The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday again nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025, and barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising its outcome, including the leadership election conducted at the event.
Judge Joyce Abdulmalik issued the orders in her judgement in the suit instituted by the faction of the party loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike.
The judgement, in sync with the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Abuja delivered earlier this month, came just hours after the Wike faction concluded its version of the national convention of the party in Abuja, producing Abdulrahman Mohammed, as the national chairman, and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Monday’s judgement also came while Kabiru Turaki, who emerged from the invalidated Ibadan convention as the party’s national chairman and others who were purportedly elected there as the party’s officials, are banking on the final resolution of the dispute by the Supreme Court following the defeat they suffered at the Court of Appeal.
Ms Abdulmalik ordered in her judgement on Monday that Mr Wike’s group be granted access to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, which was sealed off after chaos erupted there over the scramble between the factions last year. The judge also directed relevant agencies to provide them adequate security to use the secretariat.
She held that the purported convention held in Ibadan between 15 and 16 November 2025, including the election of party officials and expulsion of some notable members of the party, violated section 287(3) of the Nigerian Constitution, as well as the party’s constitution and prior court orders.
“I considered the expulsion of the members of the plaintiffs as not only an affront to the subsisting judgement, but also a direct assault to a democratic and principled society” where the rule of law is in practice, the judge said.
The court held that “all proceedings, resolutions and decisions taken at the said convention, including the suspension of members of the first plaintiff, were unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void, and of no effect.”
The Mr Wike faction, through its then acting chairperson Mohammed Abdulrahman, and secretary Samuel Anyanwu, filed the suit on 21 November last year to restrain the Kabiru Turaki-led group from representing the party and to bar the police and Stste Security Service (SSS) from granting them access to the PDP secretariat in Abuja.
The defendants sued in the suit included INEC, the Nigerian police and the SSS.
The rest were PDP members and officials who participated in, or were associated with, the November 2025 convention, led by the Turaki-led faction, and other relevant bodies and agencies.
The plaintiffs sought to prevent INEC from recognising any other office address for the Turaki-led faction apart from theirs.
They also prayed the court to declare that INEC, the police, and the SSS are constitutionally bound to enforce the decisions of the Federal High Court as delivered by Judges James Omotosho and Peter Lifu.
‘Ibadan convention held in violation of court decisions’
Delivering the judgement, the court held that, in line with the Constitution and other enabling statutes, including earlier judgements, it would not shy away from its duty to do what is just in the circumstances.
The judge noted that the the main determinant of the case is Section 287(3) of the Nigerian constitution, which provides that the decisions of the Federal High Court and other courts established by the Constitution shall be enforced by all authorities and persons across the Federation.
She observed that “in spite of the judgements which have not been set aside, the 5th to 25th defendants went ahead and organised the convention.” She added that those same judgements had also been affirmed by the Court of Appeal.
She further held that a political party’s constitution is meant to be followed by its members.
The court concluded that the issues raised in the plaintiffs’ suit were meritorious and granted the declaratory and injunctive reliefs sought.
Therefore, the judge declared that the defendants “are bound to comply with and give full effect to the subsisting judgments of the Federal High Court earlier referred to.”
She held: “The first to the fourth defendants are not entitled to recognise or give effect, in any manner whatsoever, to the purported National Convention held on 15 and 16 November 2025 by the 5th to 25th defendants and their associates.
“The purported convention, including the election of officers and suspension of members, is unconstitutional, null and void.”
She also held that the plaintiffs “are entitled to remain in office and continue to use the party’s national secretariat and properties” and ordered INEC not to recognise the said defendants as officers or representatives of the first plaintiff (the PDP) or to accept any change of address from them other than the one already in its records.
She also ordered the SSS and the police to provide adequate security for the plaintiffs in the use of the party’s national secretariat.
The court also restrained the 5th to the 25th defendants from entering, using, or interfering with the party’s properties, including holding meetings or events at the national secretariat.
It restrained INEC from accepting any address for the party other than the one already recognised in its records.
