.Upholds Anyanwu, Kamaldeen, others suspension
.As party battles for survival
BY ANTHONY OCHELA, Abuja
Court of Appeal in Abuja, yesterday, upheld the decisions of the Federal High Courts in Abuja voiding the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, held in Ibadan, Oyo State, between 15 and 16 November 2025.
In its judgement, a three-member panel of the court barred the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, from recognising the outcome of the convention, including the emergence of the Taminu Turaki’s leadership of the party.
Apart from electing the party’s National Working Committee ,NWC, the convention also sacked some allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ,FCT, Nyesom Wike, including the Minister over alleged anti-party activities,but the outcome of the Ibadan Convention can no longer stand.
The appeals stemmed mainly from separate decisions handed down last year by two Federal High Court judges in Abuja – James Omotosho and Peter Lifu. There were also counter-decisions from the Oyo State High Court and, more recently, the Federal High Court in Ibadan, regarding the disputed convention.
Despite the rulings stopping the convention ahead of the scheduled date, the organisers proceeded with it in Ibadan, Oyo State, between 15 and 16 November 2025, producing Mr Turaki as national chairperson of the PDP, alongside other national officers.
However, displeased with the decisions, the Turaki-led NWC approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear a suit seeking to stop the party’s planned national convention scheduled for 15 and 16 November last year in Ibadan.
The Court of Appeal’s three-member panel unanimously dismissed the appeals.
The court also awarded N2 million as cost against the appellants comprising Mr Turaki and other members of the National Working Committee ,NWC, of the party.
The court held that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction to hear the case, rejecting the argument by the Turaki faction that the dispute was purely an internal affair of the party.
The panel said the appellants could not “repackage a clear violation of the party constitution and that of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as an internal party affair”.
Delivering the lead judgement of the Court of Appeal yesterday, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam held that the PDP violated constitutional provisions required before such a convention could become valid.
He said no valid notice of the convention was served on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as required by law.
The Justice held that the case of the aggrieved PDP members who instituted the suit against the party was not about internal party affairs as erroneously argued.
He said they rather filed the suit to compel INEC to comply with its statutory functions in relation to party conventions.
The appellate court also noted that valid congresses were not held in more than 14 states as required by law before the 2025 convention was conducted.
Having failed to comply with the relevant laws, the court said the Federal High Court was right in assuming jurisdiction and granting a restraining order against INEC from accepting or recognising the outcome of the PDP 2025 national convention.
“Non-compliance with the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022 and party constitution and guidelines are at the heart of democratic governance, and compliance must be strictly enforced in the interest of democracy”, the Justice said.
Meanwhile, what looks like a sour taste in the victory of the other group, the Appellate court unanimously affirmed the suspension of three former high-ranking National Officers of the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP.
Those whose suspension were affirmed by the Court of Appeal included Senator Samuel Anyanwu, former National Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature former National Organising Secretary, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, former National Legal Adviser.
The appellate court in its landmark judgement, upheld the earlier resolution of the PDP’s National Working Committee ,NWC, which dismissed the legal challenges mounted by the embattled former officers.
The court, in its lead judgment, validated the disciplinary processes initiated by the PDP-led Ambassador Iliya Damagun, citing the supremacy of the party’s constitution in internal administrative matters.
The Appeal Court ruling included an affirmation of authority recognising the power of the PDP NWC to suspend officers found to be in violation of party discipline and constitutional provisions.
The appellate court also dismissed all the prayers contained in the appeal seeking to nullify the suspension and reinstate the officers to their respective positions.
The court held that the prayers of the appeal were lacking in merit.
The suspension of the three former National officers of the PDP followed allegations of anti-party activities and conducts that were deemed “inconsistent with the provisions of the Party’s constitution”.
However, many of the gladiators are calling for peace that the party has suffered enough. The FCT Minister, yesterday were among the party’s bigwigs that appealed for peace and urged those that love the PDP not to proceed to the Supreme Court because party internal affairs should be settled among party members.
Mr Turaki , the embattled Chairman of the Peoples Democratic party as a result of Ibadan Convention is suing for calm until they hear from there lawyers so as to know what to do next. The PDP once known as the biggest party in Nigeria and beyond has been dealt a big blow by the crises which saw many of her elected members defect to the ruling APC. The party indeed is battling for survival.
