Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court on Friday in Ibadan nullified the PDP’s November 2025 convention held in Ibadan and sacked the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Taminu Turaki.
The court held that Turaki and his team must immediately cease acting as national officers.
Instead, the court recognized the Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led caretaker committee as the only legal NWC authorized to manage the party until a new convention is held.
The Kabiru Turaki faction of the PDP had filed Suit Number FHC/IB/CS/121/2025, seeking recognition of the convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15, 2025, and validation of the NWC that emerged at the convention
In a judgment by Justice Agomoh, the court held that the convention was conducted in flagrant disobedience to two subsisting judgments of the same court, adding that returning to seek judicial approval for actions taken in defiance of court orders was an exercise in futility.
Consequently, all decisions taken at the convention were set aside by the court.
The suit: FHC/IB/CS/121/2025: is Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Versus Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and six others, came up for judgment on Friday.
Legal representatives for all parties were in attendance Friday, with E. Y. Ajayi appearing for the applicant on behalf of Musibau Adetumbi, SAN.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), named as the first respondent, was represented by O. A. Adeyemi, while a legal team including Chief Ferdinand O. Orbih, SAN, Dr. J.Y. Musa, SAN, and Dike Udenna appeared for the second through fourth respondents.
Mr A. P. Igbayilola represented the fifth through seventh respondents.
In a scathing open-court ruling, Justice Agomoh dismissed the suit, characterizing it as a “brazen attempt” by the applicant to legitimize illegalities committed in defiance of existing court orders.
The court emphasized that it would neither sanction such violations nor act as an appellate body over previous judgments, ultimately dismissing the application for lack of merit.
“I hold that the caretaker committee is the only lawful governing body of PDP that INEC should recognize and relate with.
“This suit is a brazen attempt by the applicant to legitimize its illegalities done in violation of subsisting court orders. I cannot allow that or sit on appeal over those judgments.
“The application fails and is dismissed”, the judge said.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the PDP Caretaker Committee, Chief Ferdinand Oshioke Orbih, SAN, described the ruling as a boost for Nigeria’s democracy.
According to him, the claimants had sought judicial endorsement of what he described as an illegal convention, but the court firmly rejected the move.
He said the judgment affirmed that the rule of law must prevail over political expediency, stressing that all actions and structures arising from the convention had been completely nullified.
Orbih added that the court’s decision underscored the inevitability of the caretaker committee taking charge of the party’s affairs until a valid convention is conducted in line with the law.
He noted that the ruling sends a strong message to political actors on the importance of obeying court judgments, warning that disregard for the rule of law could lead to chaos.
The judgment follows a protracted crisis within the PDP, which held a contentious national elective convention in Ibadan in November 2025 despite existing court orders.
Persecondnews earlier reported that a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had ordered the suspension of the PDP convention in a suit filed by former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido.
Lamido had challenged the process, alleging that he was denied the opportunity to purchase a nomination form to contest for the party’s chairmanship, in violation of the PDP constitution and guidelines.
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