Factional PDP Seeks Supreme Court Intervention to Halt Wike Group’s Convention
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Kabiru Turaki, has lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court, seeking to prevent the national convention planned by a rival group loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The convention, slated for March 29th and 30th, 2026, is now the subject of a high-stakes legal battle.
This latest move comes after the Turaki-led PDP faction appealed a recent judgment by the Court of Appeal. The appellate court had previously upheld two rulings from the Federal High Court, which had nullified the PDP faction’s own national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025.
The core argument presented in the appeal to the Supreme Court centers on the assertion that both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court overstepped their bounds. The Turaki faction contends that the matters at hand are strictly internal party affairs and therefore not subject to judicial review or intervention.
A Series of Legal Battles Over Party Conventions
The dispute traces back to earlier legal challenges concerning PDP conventions. In October of the previous year, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued injunctions preventing two other PDP factions, one led by Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State, and another by Bala Mohammed, the Governor of Bauchi State, from proceeding with their planned national convention scheduled for November 15th and 16th, 2025, also in Ibadan.
Justice James Omotosho, in his judgment, cited a critical failure by the party to adhere to procedural requirements. The court found that the party had not conducted valid state congresses prior to the intended convention, a prerequisite stipulated by the 1999 Constitution, the guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the PDP’s own constitution.
Adding to the legal complexities, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had also issued a ruling in a separate suit. This suit, filed by a former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, aimed to halt the planned national convention in Ibadan. The court’s decision stipulated that the convention could not proceed until Mr. Lamido was afforded an opportunity to contest for the national chairmanship position within the party.
Factions Emerge Amidst Convention Disagreements
Despite these judicial pronouncements, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP proceeded with the national convention in Ibadan. This convention ultimately saw the emergence of Kabiru Turaki as the national chairman of that particular faction, along with other members of the NWC.
However, the faction aligned with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, notably abstained from participating in the Ibadan convention. Instead, they opted to establish their own parallel structures, including a separate NWC, a Board of Trustees (BoT), and a National Executive Committee (NEC).
Court of Appeal Affirms Lower Court Rulings
The legal wrangling continued, culminating in a decision by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on March 9th. A three-member panel of the appellate court affirmed the Federal High Court’s judgments, effectively reinforcing the injunctions against the Ibadan convention. The appellate court’s ruling also dismissed the appeal lodged by the PDP NWC, which had challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear the case.
Following this affirmation, the Wike-aligned faction proceeded to schedule their own national convention for March 29th in Abuja.
Grounds for the Supreme Court Appeal
The appeal filed at the Supreme Court by the Turaki-led PDP faction, its NWC, and the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) outlines five specific grounds for their challenge. The appellants argue that the Court of Appeal committed a legal error by upholding the lower court’s decision that restrained their Ibadan convention.
A key contention is that the Court of Appeal erred “when it affirmed the decision of the Federal High Court assuming jurisdiction over the suit of the 1st-3rd Respondents which related purely to the internal leadership affairs of the 1st Appellant political party.” This reiterates their stance that the judiciary should not interfere in internal party matters.
Furthermore, the faction argues that the appellate court was mistaken in its legal determination “when it held that the 1st-3rd Respondents’ suit disclosed a cause of action within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court under Section 251 of the Constitution.”
Seeking a Stay of Execution
In their plea to the Supreme Court, the Turaki-led faction is seeking an order for a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal’s verdict. This would effectively halt the implementation of the appellate court’s decision, pending the Supreme Court’s final determination of the appeal.
The respondents named in the Supreme Court appeal include Austine Nwachukwu (PDP Chairman, Imo State Chapter), Amah Abraham Nnanna (PDP Chairman, Abia State Chapter), Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South Zone), INEC, Samuel Anyanwu (PDP National Secretary), Umar Bature (PDP National Organizing Secretary), Umar Damagum (PDP National Chairman), Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi. The outcome of this appeal is poised to have significant implications for the internal power dynamics and organizational structure of the Peoples Democratic Party.
