Court of Appeal Upholds Order Restraining INEC from Recognising PDP Ibadan Convention
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Delivering a unanimous decision, a three‑member panel led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam dismissed the appeal filed by the faction led by Kabiru Turaki, SAN, which had challenged the jurisdiction of the lower court. The appellate court held that the Federal High Court was right to assume jurisdiction, rejecting the argument that the matter was merely an internal party affair.
The court ruled that the appellants could not disguise clear violations of both the PDP constitution and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as internal party disputes. It further found that the PDP failed to comply with statutory requirements for convening a valid national convention, including the mandatory notice to INEC and the conduct of valid congresses in at least 14 states.
Justice Onyemenam stressed that strict compliance with the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and party guidelines is fundamental to democratic governance, noting that non‑compliance undermines the integrity of the electoral process. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and costs of ₦2 million were awarded against the appellants.
The decision reinforces the earlier ruling of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, which restrained INEC from recognising the convention until the PDP complied with constitutional and statutory provisions. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by aggrieved PDP members who argued that the convention was convened without proper notice and valid congresses, and that correspondence issued by the National Chairman without the National Secretary’s endorsement was invalid.
