By Luminous Jannamike

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been pushed deeper into crisis after a split decision of the Supreme Court nullified its Ibadan convention, with the Kabiru Turaki-led faction warning that the ruling leaves the party without clear leadership ahead of the 2027 elections.

The judgment also upheld the Court of Appeal’s suspension of key party figures, including Ajibade, SAN, and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, compounding uncertainty over the party’s leadership structure.

While reacting to the judgment, spokesperson for the faction, Ini Ememobong, said the outcome has effectively stripped the party of a defined leadership framework, raising urgent questions about its direction and the stability of Nigeria’s opposition.

“With this split judgment… this effectively leaves the PDP as a party without a defined leadership,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that the party’s internal organs would move to stabilise the situation.

“We are certain that the existing organs of the party (particularly the Board of Trustees and state executives) will take the necessary steps to salvage the party and confer leadership on it going forward,” he added.

He warned that the implications could extend beyond the party if the situation is not carefully managed.

“This leads the vehicle of our party towards a dangerous bend, which, if not carefully navigated, may not only affect the party but also multi-party democracy in our country,” he said.

The Supreme Court, in a 3–2 majority decision delivered by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, upheld earlier rulings of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court nullifying the convention held in Ibadan.

The majority justices: Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, Stephen Adah, and Mohammed Garba held that the convention violated a valid and subsisting order of the Federal High Court, ruling that the appellants acted in contempt and were therefore not entitled to relief at the apex court.

However, Justices Haruna Tsammani and Abubakar Umar dissented, maintaining that the dispute was strictly an internal party matter and should not have been entertained by the courts.

“The two appeals emanate from matters which are internal affairs of the PDP and are therefore non-justiciable,” the minority held.

They further argued that the case did not arise from the actions of any federal government agency but from a leadership contest within the party, placing it outside the jurisdiction of the courts.

Faulting the majority’s approach, the dissenting justices warned against procedural overreach.

“It is not the duty of the court to fish out matters to execute the case for the respondent,” they said, adding that raising issues suo motu without hearing from parties runs contrary to established judicial principles.

The ruling, while resolving the immediate legal dispute, leaves the PDP facing a more pressing political challenge: restoring clarity, authority and cohesion at the top of its structure.