By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. | adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Editor, DDNews |
The Supreme Court has ordered an accelerated hearing of an appeal challenging the nullification of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025. A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal, granted the expeditious hearing of the appeal marked SC/CV/166/2026 and filed by the Taminu Turaki, SAN-led factional national executives of the party that emerged from the convention.
In a motion filed on April 8 through their counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), the appellants PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC), and National Executive Committee (NEC) prayed for a departure from the Supreme Court Rules and the abridgement of time for all respondents to file their briefs of argument. In moving the motion on Monday, Uche, SAN, insisted that the circumstances warranted expeditious determination “in the interest of justice.”
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He emphasised the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), also a respondent, had announced April 23 as the commencement date for candidate submissions by political parties. Uche, SAN, added that his clients had filed an affidavit of extreme urgency to justify swift determination of the case. He also informed the court that the appellants had filed a 23-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion on notice.
Meanwhile, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, representing the PDP faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, did not oppose the application but requested 15 days to respond to the appeal. INEC and the other respondents, though not opposed to a speedy hearing, requested 10 days to file their briefs of argument. In its ruling, the panel held that it was expedient to grant the appellants’ prayers.
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Consequently, it ordered the respondents to file their responses within five days and directed the appellants to file any reply upon receipt of those processes. The Supreme Court stipulated that filing and exchange of processes must be completed before April 21 and fixed April 22 for the substantive appeal.
It will be recalled that the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on March 9, upheld judgments barring the PDP from proceeding with the Ibadan convention. The appellate court held that the convention lacked legal backing as it disobeyed two Federal High Court judgments in Abuja delivered on October 31 and November 14, 2025. The panel, led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, dismissed the first appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1613/2025, filed by the PDP faction aligned with Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
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It found no reason to overturn Justice James Omotosho’s verdict of the high court, which had barred INEC from validating the Ibadan convention outcome. According to the appellate court, evidence showed that statutory conditions precedent were not met before the convention. The trial court rightly stopped the convention and dismissed the Turaki-led faction’s claim that the matter was a non-justiciable domestic affair of the party.
DDNewsOnline – Lagos
By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. (Beedee)
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