By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE Abuja Court of Appeal has upheld a Federal High Court judgement preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from acknowledging the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party‘s (PDP) 2025 National Convention.
The convention, which took place on 15–16 November 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State, was deemed invalid by the courts due to the party’s failure to comply with constitutional and electoral regulations.
Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam affirmed that the PDP had not met the legal requirements for a valid convention.
The court noted that the party failed to issue the mandatory statutory notice to INEC and did not hold valid congresses in over 14 states as required by law.
The appellate court further ruled that the case brought by aggrieved members of the party did not constitute an internal affair, but rather sought to compel INEC to fulfil its statutory obligations.
Given the PDP’s non-compliance, the Court of Appeal concluded that the Federal High Court was right to assume jurisdiction and issue a restraining order against the electoral body.
Justice Onyemenam stressed that strict adherence to the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the party’s own constitution is fundamental to democratic legitimacy.
The initial ruling was delivered on 31 October 2025 by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja. He found that the PDP had not followed proper procedures, including the failure to issue a 21-day notice for meetings and congresses, as well as the unauthorised signing of notices by the party’s National Chairman.
This breach, Justice Omotosho held, prevented INEC from carrying out its statutory duty of monitoring the congresses, thereby jeopardising the legitimacy of the planned convention. He urged the party to rectify these failings before proceeding with any election of national officers.
As a result, the court restrained INEC from receiving, publishing, or recognising the results of the Ibadan convention until the PDP complies fully with the law.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by three PDP members—Austin Nwachukwu (Imo State Chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia State Chairman), and Turnah Alabh George (South-South Zonal Secretary)—represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joseph Daudu.
The plaintiffs sought to halt the convention, during which new national officers were to be elected. Defendants in the case included INEC, the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi.
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