The protracted internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a dramatic turn, as failed reconciliation efforts among party leaders have pushed rival factions into a decisive legal confrontation at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The latest escalation follows the collapse of high-level peace talks involving key stakeholders, prompting a faction aligned with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and led by its National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, to formally challenge the March 9, 2026 judgment of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, which nullified the party’s national convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.
Court documents show that the PDP alongside its National Working Committee (NWC) led by Turaki and National Executive Committee (NEC), has filed an appeal and accompanying motion seeking a stay of execution of the appellate court’s judgment, warning that its enforcement would significantly disrupt the party’s leadership structure and render the pending appeal nugatory.
The applicants are also seeking far-reaching injunctive relief, including an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or giving effect to the judgment, particularly as it relates to the disputed convention and the party’s internal leadership arrangements.
In a further escalation of the power struggle, the Makinde-Turaki bloc is asking the apex court to restrain a rival faction believed to be aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, from proceeding with a planned national convention scheduled for March 29 and 30, 2026, in Abuja.
The dispute traces its roots to litigation over the conduct of PDP congresses and the controversial Ibadan convention of November 15 and 16, 2025, which was nullified following an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on October 31, 2025, and subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal.
The appellate court held that the PDP failed to comply with statutory requirements, including proper notification to INEC and the conduct of valid congresses in several states, thereby justifying judicial intervention.
It also rejected the party’s position that the matter was purely internal, ruling instead that it involved compliance with the Electoral Act and democratic safeguards.
However, in its filings before the Supreme Court, the PDP insists that the lower courts erred in assuming jurisdiction, maintaining that the issues in dispute are fundamentally internal party affairs relating to leadership, congresses, and convention processes.
The legal battle has drawn in several party stakeholders as respondents, including Austine Nwachukwu, Amah Abraham Nnanna, and Turnah Alabh George, as well as top national officers such as Samuel Anyanwu, Umar M. Bature, and Umar Iliya Damagum, among others.
Amid the intensifying legal confrontation, efforts to broker peace within the party have faltered.
Nyesom Wike confirmed that he recently held a private meeting with Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, in a bid to unify the aggrieved factions.
However, the talks ended without a breakthrough, as Wike reportedly insisted that the planned convention must proceed, a position that clashed with demands from opposing blocs seeking broader consensus on the party’s leadership structure.
Insiders say the failure of the reconciliation effort has hardened positions within the PDP, with both sides now relying on the courts to assert legitimacy and control.
Nevertheless, some party leaders are said to be maintaining a dual-track approach, keeping channels of dialogue open while pursuing legal remedies.
Filings before the Supreme Court indicate that the Record of Appeal has already been transmitted as of March 26, 2026, underscoring the urgency of the matter.
The appellants argue that unless the apex court intervenes swiftly, actions taken in line with the appellate court judgment could create irreversible consequences, particularly regarding leadership recognition and the party’s dealings with INEC.
