The management and staff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) have rejected the recent judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan on the party’s leadership, declaring their continued loyalty to the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN-led National Working Committee (NWC).
In a statement posted on the PDP’s official Facebook page, the party workers said they “reaffirm our recognition, loyalty and allegiance to the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN-led National Working Committee (NWC)” elected at the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025.
They stated that they stand firmly by the election of the NWC and all resolutions reached at the Ibadan convention, describing the decisions as valid and consistent with the PDP Constitution as well as Supreme Court judgments that affirm party supremacy in internal affairs.
According to the statement, the PDP staff, as custodians of the party’s national secretariat, would not recognise or align with any other leadership outside the Turaki-led NWC, which they described as “validly elected at the National Convention sanctioned by all the legitimate organs of the party.”
The staff argued that the Supreme Court has consistently held that issues relating to party leadership, congresses and conventions are internal matters beyond judicial interference.
They further maintained that there was no legal impediment to the Ibadan convention, noting that it was convened by the National Executive Committee (NEC) at its 101st meeting held on July 24, 2025, in line with Section 31(2)(a) of the PDP Constitution.
The statement also said the party complied with Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022, by duly notifying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), adding that INEC officials were present at the convention. It cited the Supreme Court decision in INEC v. SDP & Ors, which affirmed that political parties are only required to notify the electoral body of their conventions.
The PDP and PDI staff described the Ibadan Federal High Court judgment as contrary to established Supreme Court authorities, noting that the matter is already before an appellate court on jurisdictional grounds.
They also expressed concern over claims by the trial judge, Justice Uche Agomoh, that the party disobeyed a court order, despite what they said was a subsisting ruling by an Oyo State High Court directing the PDP to hold the convention.
The statement criticised the court for granting what it described as “reliefs that were not sought” and for attempting to impose a caretaker committee, which the staff said has no basis in the PDP Constitution.
According to the statement, the immediate past NWC is now “functus officio” following the expiration of its tenure. The staff commended the party leadership for filing an appeal and an application for a stay of execution, which they said has kept the Turaki-led NWC “legally intact, valid and fully operational.”
They also called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to caution judges whose actions, they alleged, portray them as “willing tools in the hands of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to cripple opposition parties.”
The statement urged PDP members nationwide not to be discouraged by the judgment but to remain resolute as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.
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