The sitting in Abuja has affirmed a landmark judgment of the which restrained the (INEC) from recognizing the outcome of the 2025 National Convention of the (PDP).
In a ruling delivered on Monday, a three-member panel of the appellate court held that the lower court acted within its jurisdiction when it issued an order barring the electoral commission from accepting or giving effect to the results of the party’s convention. The appellate court found that the PDP failed to comply with key statutory and constitutional provisions governing the conduct of party conventions.
The convention in dispute was held between November 15 and 16, 2025 in , the capital of , where party delegates gathered to make major leadership and structural decisions for the opposition party.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice ruled that the PDP violated mandatory legal requirements that must precede a valid national convention.
Central to the court’s decision was the party’s failure to provide a valid statutory notice of the convention to INEC, a requirement stipulated under Nigeria’s electoral legal framework.
“The appellant failed to establish that a valid notice of the convention was duly served on the electoral umpire as required by law,” Justice Onyemenam held, emphasizing that compliance with such procedural requirements is fundamental to the legality of party conventions.
The appellate court also found that the PDP did not conduct valid congresses in the minimum number of states required under its internal rules and the broader legal framework governing political party administration. According to the judgment, valid congresses were not held in more than 14 states before the convention was convened — a prerequisite necessary to legitimize the national gathering.
The court concluded that these procedural deficiencies rendered the convention fundamentally flawed in law.
A key issue addressed by the appellate court was whether the dispute fell within the realm of a political party’s internal affairs — an area traditionally shielded from judicial interference.
Justice Onyemenam rejected that argument, clarifying that the case was not strictly about internal party matters but about enforcing statutory obligations imposed on INEC regarding party conventions.
According to the court, the aggrieved PDP members who filed the suit were seeking judicial intervention to ensure that INEC complied with its legal responsibilities under Nigeria’s electoral laws.
“The reliefs sought were essentially to compel the electoral commission to adhere to its statutory duties. This clearly falls within the jurisdiction of the court,” the judge ruled.
Consequently, the Court of Appeal held that the Federal High Court was correct in assuming jurisdiction over the matter and in issuing the restraining order against INEC.
The appellate panel therefore dismissed the appeal and affirmed the October 31, 2025 judgment which prohibited INEC from recognizing or accepting the outcome of the PDP’s national convention.
Legal observers say the decision reinforces judicial oversight over compliance with electoral regulations governing political parties.
The ruling could have far-reaching implications for the PDP, one of Nigeria’s major opposition parties, particularly regarding decisions and leadership structures that emerged from the Ibadan convention.
With the appellate court affirming the lower court’s decision, any resolutions, elections, or leadership outcomes arising from the convention remain without formal recognition from INEC unless the party successfully challenges the ruling at the .
Political analysts note that the judgment underscores the increasing role of the judiciary in enforcing procedural compliance within Nigeria’s political system.
For now, the decision represents a significant legal setback for the PDP, potentially compelling the party to revisit its internal processes and possibly organize a fresh convention that fully complies with statutory requirements.
