PDP’s Convention: Wike, Makinde, Others Know Fate as Appeal Court Adjourns for Judgments

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division has adjourned indefinitely its judgment in a total of nine appeals regarding the national convention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

A three-member panel of justices of the appellate court on Thursday took the decision after lawyers representing all parties adopted and argued their respective briefs for and against the appeals.

On one hand of the appeals is the faction of the Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, which organized the November 15 and 16 national convention, that produced the Tanumi Turaki-led national executive, while on the other is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, who seems to be running the PDP through a national caretaker committee led by Abdulrahman Muhammad.

The nine appeals are challenging three separate decisions for and against the conduct of the November 15 and 16, Ibadan convention that produced Turaki and other national officers.

Recall that the tenure of the Ambassador Iliya Damagum-led national executive ended on December 9, 2025.

Efforts by the PDP to elect new national officers before the expiration of the tenure of the former executives were thwarted by several litigations both in Abuja and Ibadan, Oyo State, with two decisions against the conduct of the convention while that of Ibadan cleared the coast for its conduct.

The appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/1613/2025 has the PDP, it’s National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) as appellants while, INEC, Austin Nwachukwu, Amah Abraham Nnanna, Turnah George, Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Damagun, Ali Odefa and Emmanuel Ogidi are listed as respondents.

While adopting the appellants’ brief of arguments filed on November 20, 2025 along with other processes filed on behalf of the appellants, their counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN told the court that the appeal is against the October 31,2025 judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Uche submitted that Omotosho acted out of jurisdiction when he restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from participating and recognizing the outcome of the convention, hence the appellate court should dismiss what he called, a “misconceived preliminary objections” by the respondents and to allow the appeal.

He accordingly urged the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment and orders of Justice Omotosho.

Counsel to the first to third respondents, Joseph Daudu, SAN, while adopting the notice of preliminary objections, briefs of argument as well as the list of authorities on behalf of his clients, urged the court to grant the preliminary objections and dismiss the appeal.

He said the issue relating to the chairman of a political party is the internal affairs of the party which the Federal High Court in Abuja has no jurisdiction to adjudicate on and urged the court to set aside the judgment.

Other respondents also, in their various preliminary objections prayed the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit and for being an academic exercise.

A total of nine appeals filed by members of both factions of the PDP were adjourned sine die for judgment by the panel emanated from two judgments of the Federal High Court, in Abuja and a High Court of Ibadan, Oyo State.

Recall that two judges of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court had stopped the PDP from proceeding with the convention while a High Court in Ibadan gave the party, the go-ahead and had also ordered INEC to monitor, supervise and recognize the outcome of the convention.

While Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had restrained INEC from participating in the convention on grounds of noncompliance with the PDP’s rules and regulations, his brother judge, Justice Peter Lifu had stopped the convention on grounds that it excluded an aspirant, former Jigawa State Governor, Mr Sule Lamido.

Justice A. L. Akintola of the Ibadan High Court, had in a ruling in an exparte application brought by a member of the PDP in Oyo State, Mr. Folahan Malomo Adelabi, ordered the INEC to attend and monitor the national convention for the election of new national officers of the party.

Akintola’s order came barely 72 hours after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, gave a contrary order to INEC.