Nigeria’s political tensions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shifted to the judiciary on Wednesday as the Supreme Court reserved judgment in two key appeals challenging rulings that invalidated the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba said the date for judgment would be communicated to all parties after hearing arguments from lawyers representing the various factions involved in the dispute.
The appeals were filed by the faction aligned with Kabiru Turaki, alongside the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), in a bid to overturn earlier decisions by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
One of the appeals, marked SC/CV/164/2026, challenges the appellate court’s ruling which upheld a Federal High Court decision stopping the PDP from proceeding with the Ibadan convention without fully accommodating former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.
That earlier ruling had been delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The second appeal, SC/CV/166/2026, contests another Court of Appeal judgment affirming a separate Federal High Court order issued by Justice James Omotosho, which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from supervising or monitoring the convention until required conditions were met.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, lawyers from all sides adopted their written submissions and urged the apex court to grant their respective reliefs, setting the stage for a decisive ruling on the internal crisis.
The Supreme Court also considered cross appeals filed by some respondents, adding further complexity to the legal battle over the legitimacy of the controversial party convention.
The dispute over the Ibadan convention has deepened divisions within the PDP, with competing factions continuing to challenge the legality of key party decisions through multiple court actions.
The eventual ruling by the Supreme Court is expected to have far-reaching implications for the leadership structure and internal stability of the opposition party ahead of future elections.
