A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention organised by allies of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, a decision widely viewed as a boost for the faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, January 30, 2026, the court set aside the convention held in Ibadan by the Makinde-aligned faction of the party, which produced former minister Tanimu Turaki as national chairman.
The convention was boycotted by Wike and his supporters, who had rejected its legitimacy and maintained that it did not follow due process.
The court instead affirmed that the legally recognised leadership of the PDP at the national level remains the caretaker committee headed by Mohammed Abdulrahman, with Senator Samuel Anyanwu as secretary.
The court further directed that the Abdulrahman–Anyanwu-led caretaker committee should continue to manage the party’s affairs pending the conduct of a fresh and properly constituted national convention.
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The ruling comes amid a prolonged leadership crisis within the PDP following the 2023 general elections. The party has remained divided between factions aligned with Wike and those supporting Governor Makinde and other party leaders seeking to reposition the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The judgment is seen as significant because it was delivered in Ibadan, which is regarded as Governor Makinde’s political base. Observers say the decision has implications for the internal balance of power within the party.
For months, the PDP has been plagued by parallel meetings, conflicting statements, and rival claims to authority. The Ibadan convention had been presented by the Makinde faction as a turning point for the party, but the Wike camp consistently argued that the process was flawed.
With the court’s decision, the Abdulrahman-led caretaker committee now has judicial backing, as the contest for control of the party continues ahead of the 2027 political cycle.Home defeat: Court nullifies PDP convention