The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing renewed internal tensions following the Supreme Court judgment delivered on April 30, 2026, which nullified the party’s November 2025 National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In an official statement, the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) acknowledged and accepted the apex court’s decision, noting that it affirmed earlier rulings of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal which invalidated the Ibadan convention.
The BOT emphasized that, by implication, all structures and decisions arising from the convention lack legal backing.
Consequently, the BOT reaffirmed the legitimacy of the party’s leadership under Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed as National Chairman and Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu as National Secretary, describing the duo as the “valid and stabilizing authority” to guide the party’s affairs. It added that the PDP remains functional and will continue to operate through its constitutionally recognized organs, while steps would be taken to strengthen unity and prepare for upcoming elections.
The BOT also urged the National Working Committee to immediately set up a National Reconciliation Committee to address grievances within the party.
However, a contrasting position from a faction within the party paints a more troubling picture. In a separate statement, Comrade Ini Ememobong described the Supreme Court’s split decision—delivered by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba—as one that has plunged the PDP into uncertainty.
According to the statement, the majority judgment, delivered by three justices, upheld the nullification of the convention on grounds that the appellants acted in contempt of a subsisting Federal High Court judgment.
The apex court consequently dismissed the appeal.
But the minority judgment, delivered by two justices, argued that the matter concerned the internal affairs of the party and was therefore non-justiciable. They further faulted the majority for raising issues suo motu without giving parties the opportunity to respond, a move they said contradicts established judicial principles.
Ememobong maintained that the ruling, alongside the Court of Appeal’s suspension of key party figures, has effectively left the PDP without a clearly defined leadership, warning that the situation poses a “dangerous bend” not only for the party but for Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
Despite the divergent interpretations, both sides agree on the need for urgent steps to stabilize the party, with calls for its existing organs to take decisive action to restore cohesion and direction.
