March 09, (THEWILL) — The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Monday, delivered a major setback to the Aminu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by dismissing its appeal against the October 31, 2025 judgement of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the PDP’s national convention conducted in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025.
In a unanimous judgement, a three-member panel of the appellate court, chaired by Justice Mohammed Ambi-Usi Danjuma, with Justices Okechukwu Onyemenam and Muhammed Mustapha, resolved all four issues raised in the appeal against the PDP, holding that the appeal lacked merit.
Justice Onyemenam, in delivering part of the judgement, stated, “No valid notice of the convention was served on INEC as required by law. Valid congresses were not held in more than 14 states as provided by law before the 2025 convention was put in place.”
He further emphasised, “The case of the aggrieved PDP members who instituted the suit against the party is not a matter of internal party affairs but a legitimate effort to compel INEC to comply with its statutory functions in relation to party conventions.”
The panel also highlighted that the Federal High Court had acted within its powers in granting the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.
Justice Mustapha added, “Non-compliance with the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the party Constitution and Guidelines goes to the heart of democratic governance. Compliance must be strictly enforced in the interest of democracy.”
The Court of Appeal affirmed that the plaintiffs had the legal right to institute the suit to protect their democratic rights and rejected the PDP’s claim that they were denied a fair hearing.
Justice Danjuma noted, “Where a political party fails or refuses to conduct its congresses or conventions in accordance with its constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act, such matters are subject to judicial scrutiny.”
Highlighting the seriousness of the appeal, the Court of Appeal awarded ₦2 million in costs against the PDP, describing the appeal as frivolous. The panel noted that rulings on eight other related appeals are still pending.
The decision upholds the October 31, 2025, Federal High Court ruling, which had restrained INEC from receiving, publishing, or recognising the outcome of the Ibadan convention until all legal provisions had been complied with.
Justice Omotosho had earlier ruled that the PDP failed to issue the mandatory 21-day notice of meetings and congresses, and that documents signed solely by the National Chairman without the National Secretary were invalid, rendering key notices and correspondence null and void.
The plaintiffs in the case included Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman), and Turnah George (PDP Secretary, South-South), represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Joseph Daudu.
Defendants included INEC, PDP, Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Umar Bature (National Organising Secretary), the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee of PDP, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi.
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