The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), has said the party is now facing a leadership vacuum following Thursday’s Supreme Court judgment on its disputed national convention.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the group argued that the ruling has effectively unsettled the party’s leadership structure, but expressed optimism that PDP’s internal organs would move quickly to restore order and reconstitute leadership.
Ememobong also claimed that aspects of the judgment touched on earlier appellate court pronouncements involving the suspension of key party figures, including Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) and Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
The Supreme Court, in two split decisions of 3–2, on Thursday voided the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, which had produced a leadership structure aligned with the Turaki faction and reportedly supported by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
The majority decision held that the convention was conducted in violation of subsisting court orders which had restrained the party from proceeding until specific conditions were met. The court also faulted the party for going ahead with the exercise despite clear judicial directives.
Justices Stephen Adah, Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, and Mohammed Garba formed the majority, holding that the disregard for a valid court order amounted to contempt, thereby weakening the appellants’ case before the apex court.
In contrast, the minority judgment delivered by Justices Haruna Tsammani and Abubakar Umar held that the matter was internal to the PDP and therefore not justiciable. They argued that the dispute bordered on party leadership and did not involve any action of a federal agency that would warrant judicial intervention.
The minority justices further faulted the majority for raising issues on its own without giving parties the opportunity to address them, describing it as contrary to established judicial practice.
Reacting to the ruling, the Turaki camp maintained that despite the split decision, the judgment has left the PDP in a precarious position regarding its leadership structure.
The group, however, expressed confidence that the party’s existing organs would intervene to stabilize the situation and provide clear direction going forward, warning that the development could pose wider risks if not properly managed within Nigeria’s multi-party system.
