The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sought to calm nerves within its ranks following a Federal High Court judgment in Ibadan on Friday, which purportedly nullified the party’s National Convention held on 15 November 2025.
In a significant legal blow, Justice Uche Agomoh ruled the Ibadan convention invalid, subsequently barring the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Tanimu Kabiru Turaki, SAN, and other elected officials from parading themselves as national officers. The court further held that the Caretaker Committee, led by Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, remains the sole legally recognised leadership body pending a valid convention.
In a swift rebuttal, the factional National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, issued a statement insisting that the leadership structure remains “legally intact.” The party argued that the court’s refusal to grant a specific order of mandamus suggests a jurisdictional complexity that favours their continued standing.
According to Ememobong, the Turaki-led NWC remains unshaken as the party prepares to escalate the matter to the appellate courts.
“The Kabiru Turaki–led Peoples Democratic Party remains legally intact and unshaken, as we await the authoritative pronouncement of the appellate courts. The REBIRTH movement remains firmly on course,” the statement read.
The party has already mobilised its legal department to contest the ruling. Key points of the PDP’s immediate strategy include:
Filing an Appeal: Instructions have been issued to lawyers to file a stay of execution and a formal appeal against Justice Agomoh’s judgment.
Jurisdictional Arguments: The party maintains that the High Court cannot sit on appeal over decisions made by courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
Maintenance of Status Quo: Leadership figures from the Ibadan convention intend to remain in office pending the final determination by the Court of Appeal.
The ruling marks yet another chapter in the protracted leadership struggle within Nigeria’s main opposition party. By reaffirming the legitimacy of the Mohammed-Anyanwu Caretaker Committee, the court has effectively reset the party’s administrative clock, a move the Turaki faction describes as a temporary legal hurdle rather than a definitive defeat.
The party leadership concluded by urging members nationwide to remain resolute, promising that the “REBIRTH” agenda of the party would not be derailed by the day’s judicial outcomes.
