The Oyo State High Court has validated the 2025 convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, and affirmed Kabiru Turaki as the substantive chairman of the party.
Justice Ladiran Akintola of Court 5 delivered the judgment on Friday shortly after ruling on an application for joinder.
Delivering judgment in Suit No. I/1336/2025 on Friday, the court upheld the amended originating summons filed by Musibau Adetunmbi, a senior advocate of Nigeria, on behalf of the claimant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi.
Mr Akintola granted all 13 reliefs sought, ruling that the convention complied with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and other relevant extant laws.
The court found no breach of due process or statutory non-compliance in the conduct of the convention.
In the same proceedings, the court dismissed a motion on notice seeking a stay of proceedings and a suspension of the ruling, filed by Sunday Ibrahim, a senior advocate of Nigeria, on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two others. The applications were described as lacking merit.
In November 2025, the PDP, with the backing of Governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, convened a national convention in Ibadan, which produced a new set of national officers and Mr Turaki as chairman.
The convention was preceded by a series of conflicting court judgments, with some rulings from the federal high courts in Abuja halting the event over alleged breaches of the party constitution and electoral laws, while the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan cleared the PDP to proceed with the exercise and directed INEC to monitor it.
A group of party members led by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, who opposed the convention, would later form a parallel National Working Committee, a board of trustees (BoT), and a national executive committee (NEC).
Subsequently, the Makinde-backed PDP, through its counsel, asked INEC to recognise Turaki as the party’s authentic national chairman.
However, in a letter dated December 22 addressed to PDP’s legal representatives, Akintayo Balogun & Co, INEC said the matter remains sub judice, noting that it could not take administrative action that may preempt the outcome of the legal processes before the courts.
The electoral body had said it would not update its records to reflect any change in the party’s national leadership pending the resolution of ongoing court cases challenging the convention.
“In light of the above pending suits, your request is prejudiced and cannot be acceded to until the determination of the pending appeals,” the letter reads.
“In the circumstances, and in obedience to the rule of law and subsisting court orders, the commission is unable to accede to the demand to recognise or update the list of the national officers said to have emerged from the PDP National convention of 15th-16th November 2025,” it added.
