Supreme Court Cancels PDP Convention; BoT Assumes Leadership
A leadership vacuum in the People’s Democratic Party after the Supreme Court of Nigeria nullified its 2025 national convention, has prompted the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) to assume control of its national leadership.
In a dramatic turn on Thursday, the apex court invalidated the November 15–16, 2025 convention held in Ibadan, which produced the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC). The ruling also upheld the suspension of key party officials, including Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature and Kamaldeen Ajibade.
The judgment has effectively upended the party’s leadership structure, nullifying not only the Turaki-led NWC but also decisions taken by the rival faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, including the March 29, 2026 convention in Abuja.
Within hours of the ruling, the BoT announced it was stepping in to fill the leadership vacuum, citing provisions of the party’s constitution.
BoT Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, said the intervention was necessary to “salvage and stabilize” the party and prevent a total breakdown of its national structure.
“The implication of the judgment is that there is no valid National Working Committee in place,” Wabara said in a statement. “The Board of Trustees, as the second-highest organ of the party, has a constitutional duty to act.”
He disclosed that an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) would be convened to appoint an interim leadership to run the party’s affairs and prepare it for the 2027 general elections.
The BoT also directed all staff to report back to the party’s national secretariat under its supervision pending the constitution of a new working committee.
The latest development marks a significant escalation in the PDP’s protracted internal crisis, raising fresh concerns about its readiness to mount a credible challenge in the next election cycle.
Wabara, however, appealed for calm and unity, urging party leaders and members to set aside differences and work towards reconciliation.
He commended the efforts of key stakeholders, including governors Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde, as well as other party organs, for standing by the PDP during the turbulence.
Political observers say the coming days will be critical as the party scrambles to rebuild its leadership structure and restore internal cohesion following the court’s sweeping decision.
