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ABUJA – The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025, dealing a decisive blow to a faction led by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State.

In a split 3-2 majority decision, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed an appeal filed by the faction, which had sought to uphold the convention that produced Taminu Turaki as National Chairman.

Justice Stephen Adah, who delivered the majority judgment, ruled that the appeal lacked merit. He stated that the faction had violated a subsisting order from a Federal High Court that restrained the party from proceeding with the planned convention.

Justice Adah noted that the defiance of the earlier judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho would not be condoned by law. He further criticized the Turaki-led group for seeking an order from another court of coordinate jurisdiction instead of filing an appeal, describing the move as an abuse of court process.

“The conduct of the national convention of November 15, 2025, is null and void and is hereby nulled,” Justice Adah ruled. “This court will not lend its machinery to any litigant who abuses the process of the court. This appeal is lacking in merit and is hereby dismissed. Parties will bear their own costs.”

The Turaki group, represented by counsel Paul Erokoro (SAN), had asked the Supreme Court to set aside a Court of Appeal ruling that voided the convention. The respondents, including former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, argued that the dispute centered on disobedience to a valid court order rather than internal party matters.

Lamido had previously obtained a Federal High Court injunction barring the PDP from holding the convention until he was permitted to contest for the position of national chairman. Despite the order, the party proceeded with the exercise, a decision that was later declared unlawful by both the trial court and the Court of Appeal.

The appellate court had also ruled that the matter was not protected under the doctrine of internal party affairs and nullified the convention.

In his minority judgment, Justice Haruna Samani maintained that matters concerning who runs a political party constitute internal party affairs and therefore fall outside the jurisdiction of lower courts. Justice Abubakar Umar supported this position, citing a prior Supreme Court ruling that matters not related to primary elections are non-justiciable.

The apex court emphasized that political parties serve as vehicles for politicians to attain public office and must obey court orders in deference to the rule of law. “Once a party knew of an order of court, it was bound to obey it,” the court held.