Kingsley Ohens reporting

The on Wednesday reserved judgment in the appeals arising from the protracted leadership crisis within the (PDP), after taking arguments from all parties involved in the dispute.

The case before the apex court is the culmination of a series of legal battles triggered by disagreements over the legitimacy of the party’s leadership structure, particularly the outcome of the PDP national convention held in Ibadan in November 2025. That convention produced a National Working Committee whose validity has since been challenged in court, leading to conflicting judgments and appeals.

Proceedings at the Supreme Court focused primarily on whether earlier decisions of the lower courts—especially the Court of Appeal, which nullified the Ibadan convention—were properly decided in law. The appellate court had ruled that the convention failed to meet necessary legal and procedural requirements, including compliance with statutory obligations relating to notification and conduct, thereby invalidating the leadership that emerged from the exercise.

The dispute has been driven by rival factions within the party, each laying claim to the legitimate leadership. One bloc, associated with a leadership arrangement that emerged from the Ibadan convention, is seeking to overturn the nullification and restore its recognition, while the opposing faction maintains that the process leading to that leadership was fundamentally flawed and cannot stand. These divisions have resulted in multiple suits, counter-suits, and parallel claims to authority within the party structure.

At the hearing, counsel to the parties advanced extensive legal arguments bordering on the interpretation of the PDP constitution, the Electoral Act, and the broader question of whether internal party disputes of this nature are subject to judicial intervention or fall strictly within the domestic affairs of a political party. The court also examined issues relating to the competence of the suits, the jurisdiction of the courts, and whether due process was followed in the conduct of the convention and subsequent emergence of party officials.

The leadership crisis has been further complicated by related disputes, including litigation surrounding the status and authority of key national officers and disagreements over which faction possesses the legal standing to act on behalf of the party in official matters. These overlapping issues have deepened uncertainty within the party’s organizational structure and contributed to the escalation of the matter to the Supreme Court.

After listening to all submissions, the apex court announced that judgment had been reserved, with no specific date fixed for its delivery. The parties were informed that they would be duly notified when the ruling is ready.

The forthcoming decision of the Supreme Court is expected to conclusively determine the legality of the contested leadership structure, the status of the Ibadan convention, and the authority of the party’s organs, effectively bringing judicial clarity to the dispute that has lingered across multiple levels of the court system.