The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dealing a major blow to the embattled group.
In a post on the appellate court’s website on Wednesday June 3, 2026, the unanimous judgment was delivered by a three-man panel, the appellate court affirmed the Federal High Court’s earlier ruling which nullified the PDP’s controversial national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The Court held that the convention was invalid due to the party’s failure to comply with its own constitution, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), and the Electoral Act 2022.
Delivering the lead judgment, the panel rejected the PDP’s argument that the matter was an internal party affair beyond judicial interference.
The justices ruled that the lower court rightly assumed jurisdiction because the issues involved clear violations of statutory provisions and the party’s guidelines.
The court further stressed that political parties must conduct congresses and conventions in strict adherence to legal requirements. Any breach, it said, opens the door for judicial intervention.
On the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Appeal Court declared that the electoral body is not bound to recognise any convention or its outcome conducted in violation of the law and the party’s internal regulations.
The panel subsequently struck out all grounds of appeal, describing them as incompetent and lacking merit. It also slammed ₦2 million costs against the appellants.
