The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the 2025 National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The convention, held between 15 and 16 November 2025 in Ibadan, had been expected to produce new national officers for the opposition party. However, the appellate court ruled that the party failed to comply with several legal requirements governing such gatherings.
Delivering judgement on the appeal, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam held that the PDP violated constitutional and statutory provisions that must be satisfied before a national convention can be deemed valid. According to the judge, the party did not serve a valid notice of the convention on INEC as mandated by law.
Justice Onyemenam further ruled that valid congresses were not conducted in more than 14 states of the federation prior to the convention, a requirement stipulated under relevant laws regulating party activities. Without these congresses, the judge said, the convention could not legally stand.
The appellate court also rejected arguments that the lawsuit brought by aggrieved members of the PDP concerned the party’s internal affairs. Instead, the court held that the plaintiffs were seeking to compel INEC to perform its statutory duty in relation to monitoring and recognising party conventions.
Having established that the PDP failed to comply with the relevant laws, the Court of Appeal concluded that the Federal High Court was correct in assuming jurisdiction and issuing an order preventing INEC from recognising the outcome of the convention.
“Compliance with the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and party constitutions and guidelines lies at the heart of democratic governance, and such compliance must be strictly enforced in the interest of democracy,” Justice Onyemenam stated in the judgement.
The earlier order was issued on 31 October 2025 by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court. In his ruling, Justice Omotosho held that the PDP had failed to meet key legal conditions required for the conduct of a national convention.
Evidence presented by INEC and some party members showed that congresses were not conducted in certain states, contrary to legal provisions. The court also noted that notices and official correspondence relating to the convention were signed solely by the party’s national chairman without the endorsement of the national secretary, rendering them legally invalid.
In addition, the court found that the PDP did not issue the mandatory 21-day notice required to allow INEC to monitor meetings and congresses leading up to the convention.
Justice Omotosho ruled that these failures placed the planned convention in jeopardy and advised the party to comply with the law before proceeding with any such exercise.
The case was filed by three PDP members: Austin Nwachukwu, Imo State PDP chairman; Amah Abraham Nnanna, Abia State PDP chairman; and Turnah Alabh George, PDP Secretary for the South-South zone. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was instituted on their behalf by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Joseph Daudu.
The plaintiffs sought an order halting the PDP’s planned national convention in Ibadan where new national officers were expected to be elected.
The defendants in the suit include INEC, the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature, the party’s National Working Committee and National Executive Committee, as well as Umar Iliya Damagum, Ali Odefa and Emmanuel Ogidi.
With the Court of Appeal’s decision, the restriction on INEC’s recognition of the convention remains in force until the PDP complies fully with constitutional and electoral requirements.
