ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), plunged deeper into turmoil on Tuesday after a Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a ruling that effectively shuts the door on one of its rival power blocs.
In a decisive judgment, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik barred the faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki from accessing the party’s national secretariat a move that dramatically tilts the balance of control within the embattled party. But that was not all.
The court also nullified the controversial Ibadan convention of November 2025, the very exercise that produced the Turaki-led leadership, declaring its outcome illegal and void.
In a further blow, the court restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising any decisions or officials that emerged from that convention, citing violations of existing court orders.
On the flip side, the court handed operational control to the rival camp aligned with FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, directing security agencies to grant them full access and protection at the party’s headquarters.
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The judgment followed a suit filed by party figures Mohammed Abdulrahman and Samuel Anyanwu, both aligned with the Wike camp, who challenged the legality of the Ibadan gathering.
Delivering her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik held that the convention held between November 15 and 16, 2025, was conducted in defiance of subsisting court orders and in violation of the party’s constitution.
She described actions taken at the convention including the election of officials and the expulsion of key members as unconstitutional.
According to the court, such actions amounted to “an affront to subsisting court pronouncements” and “a direct assault to democracy and the rule of law.”
All resolutions from the convention, including suspensions and expulsions, were consequently declared “null and void, and of no effect.”
The court emphasised that under Section 287(3) of the 1999 Constitution, all parties including political organisations are bound to obey valid court orders.
Yet, even as the ruling appears to strengthen one faction, the battle for control of the PDP is far from over.
A rival bloc backed by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has escalated the dispute to higher courts, insisting that the legitimacy of the Wike-backed convention must still be tested judicially.
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In a statement by its spokesperson, the faction confirmed it had filed processes at the Supreme Court, seeking a final resolution of the leadership crisis.
“With this appeal and the relevant concomitant applications filed and served on all the parties involved, we are hopeful that sooner, rather than later, the apex court will, in the interest of democracy, expeditiously hear and adjudicate on this matter,” the group said.
The camp also accused the Wike-aligned faction of pushing ahead with its convention despite ongoing proceedings at the Court of Appeal.
What began as an internal disagreement has now evolved into a full-blown legal war one that could redefine the PDP’s structure, leadership, and political future ahead of the 2027 elections.
For now, the court has spoken but in Nigeria’s high-stakes political arena, the final word may still lie with the Supreme Court.