The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by the Taminu Turaki-led National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Delivering the majority judgment on Thursday, Justice Stephen held that the national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, between November 15 and 16, last year, was in defiance of an existing judgment of the Federal High Court, delivered by Justice James Omotosho.
The apex court berated the Turaki-led group for going to another court of coordinate jurisdiction to secure an order, instead of going on appeal.
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Describing the move as an abuse of court process, the majority judgment adds that any litigant who engages in the act of abuse of court process does so at his or her own peril.
The majority judgment dismissed the appeal for lack of merit.
The Turaki group had asked the Supreme Court to set aside a Court of Appeal ruling that voided the convention for breaching a subsisting court order.
Through their counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), the appellants urged the apex court to uphold the convention and dismiss a cross-appeal filed by a rival faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
However, the respondents, including former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, contended that the dispute transcends internal party matters and centres on disobedience to a valid court order.
Lamido had earlier obtained a Federal High Court injunction barring the PDP from holding the convention until he was permitted to contest for the position of national chairman.
Despite the order, the party went ahead with the exercise—an action later declared unlawful by both the trial court and the Court of Appeal.
The appellate court further ruled that the matter was not protected under the doctrine of internal party affairs and accordingly nullified the convention.
Obedience to Court Order
The apex court further held that political parties are the vehicle through which politicians get to public office, hence they have a responsibility to obey court orders in deference to the rule of law.
It held that once a party knows of an order of court, it is bound to obey it.
“The conduct of the national convention of November 15, 2025, is null and void and is hereby annulled,” it declared.
“This court will not lend its machinery to any litigant who abuses the process of the court. This appeal is lacking in merit and is hereby dismissed. Parties will bear their own costs,” it added.
Justice Haruna Samani, in the minority judgment he read, maintained, among other reasons, that the process of who runs a political party is the internal affairs of the party, and therefore not within the jurisdiction of the lower courts.
This position was also supported by Justice Abubakar Umar, who cited an earlier ruling of the Supreme Court, which states that any matter that does not concern primary elections of political parties is not a pre-election matter and therefore not justiciable.
Both justices, however, pointed out that they do not support the disobedience of court orders.
The lead majority judgment was read by Justice Stephen Adah, and supported by Justices Mohammed Garba and Chidiebere Iheme.
The Ibadan convention had deepened the crisis in the PDP, leading to expulsions and counter-expulsions.
On March 29, the PDP, backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, held its national convention in Abuja and produced Abdulrahman Mohammed as the substantive National Chairman, while Samuel Anyanwu was returned as National Secretary.
The Mohammed-led NWC later gained access to the national secretariat of the party, which had earlier been shut down by security agencies after a confrontation between warring factions within the party.
