…Wants court to stop Wike-faction’s planned national convention
The Kabiru Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Supreme Court to restrain the faction loyal to the minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike from conducting its national convention scheduled for March 29 and 30, 2026.
The Turaki-led PDP faction on Friday filed an appeal against the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which upheld two judgments of the Federal High Court nullifying its national convention held in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, in November 2025.
In the appeal, the PDP faction argued that the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court lack jurisdiction over the matter, which it said is an internal affairs of the party and not justiciable.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had, in October last year, stopped the PDP faction led by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, and Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi State from going ahead with its national convention slated for November 15 and 16, 2025 in Ibadan.
Justice James Omotosho, held, in a judgement that the evidence before the court showed that the party failed to hold valid state congresses before the planned convention as stipulated in the 1999 constitution and guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as the constitution of the party.
Justice Peter Lifu, also of the Federal High Court, Abuja had, in a judgement in the suit filed by a former governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido stopped the planned national convention of the party slated for Ibadan until Lamido is given the opportunity to participate in the contest of the national chairmanship election of the party.
Despite the two judgments, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) of the party went ahead with the national convention in Ibadan which the produced Turaki as national chairman of the faction and other members of the NWC.
However, the faction loyal to the FCT minister did not participate in the convention but rather constituted a parallel NWC, board of trustees (BoT) and national executive committee (NEC).
On March 9, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division affirmed the judgements of the Federal High Court, which restrained the conduct of the Ibadan convention.
The three-member panel of the appellate court dismissed the PDP NWC appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to entertain the suit.
The Wike faction had scheduled its national convention for March 29 in Abuja.
The appeal was filed by PDP, its NWC, and PDP national executive committee (NEC).
Respondents in the appeal are Austine Nwachukwu, PDP chairman, Imo state chapter, Amah Abraham Nnanna, PDP chairman, Abia state chapter; Turnah Alabh George, PDP secretary, south-south zone; INEC; Samuel Anyanwu, PDP national secretary; Umar Bature, PDP national organising secretary; Umar Damagum, PDP national chairman; Ali Odefa; and Emmanuel Ogidi.
The Turaki-led faction anchored its appeal on five grounds, arguing that the Appeal Court erred in law by affirming the judgement of the lower court that stopped the Ibadan convention.
The PDP faction argued that the Court of Appeal erred “when it affirmed the decision of the Federal High Court assuming jurisdiction over the suit of the 1st-3rd Respondents which related purely to the internal leadership affairs of the 1st Appellant political party”.
The faction averred that the appellate court also erred in law “when it held that the 1st-3rd Respondents’ suit disclosed a cause of action within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court under Section 251 of the Constitution”.
The faction is seeking an order of stay of execution of the verdict of the Court of Appeal in the case.
END
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