By Abiola Olawale
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially broken its silence following a recent judgment, insisting that its Ibadan Convention remains legally binding and valid.
Despite a High Court’s refusal to grant a writ of mandamus—which sought to compel immediate recognition of the convention’s outcomes—party leadership maintained that the ruling does not invalidate the internal democratic process.
The New Diplomat reports that legal tension peaked on Friday when the court declined the application for mandamus.
However, PDP legal counsel clarified that the court’s refusal was based on procedural technicalities rather than the merits of the convention itself.
The party said the ruling, delivered earlier in the day, did not amount to a judgment on the validity of the Ibadan Convention, but was instead anchored on the court’s view that granting the relief sought would mean sitting on appeal over decisions of courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
In a statement issued shortly after the judgment and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP said it had already set in motion the process of challenging the ruling, even as it urged members to remain calm and focused.
“We are aware of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, delivered this morning, which essentially declined to grant the order of mandamus sought on the ground that doing so would, in the court’s view, amount to sitting on appeal over judgments of courts of coordinate jurisdiction,” the PDP said.
According to the party, the court’s position only reinforces the need for an appellate court to give a final and authoritative pronouncement on the issues in dispute.
“We have accordingly briefed our lawyers to immediately file an appeal and to take all further legal steps necessary to advance our arguments and firmly protect our position on this matter,” Ememobong said.
The party was emphatic that the Ibadan Convention and the leadership it produced have not been shaken by the ruling, describing suggestions to the contrary as premature and misleading.
“Notwithstanding this judgment, the Kabiru Turaki–led Peoples Democratic Party, which emerged from the Ibadan Convention, remains legally intact and unshaken, as we await the authoritative pronouncement of the appellate courts,” the statement added.
Beyond the legal process, the PDP said its immediate concern was to prevent uncertainty among party members and supporters, particularly at a time when rival factions are eager to exploit any perceived weakness.
“We therefore urge our members to remain resolute and committed as there is absolutely no cause for alarm,” the party said.
Framing the dispute as part of a broader political struggle rather than a terminal legal setback, the PDP said its reform agenda remains unaffected by the Ibadan ruling.
“The REBIRTH movement remains firmly on course,” the statement said.
This comes after the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, officially nullified the outcome of the PDP’s National Convention held in Ibadan on November 15, 2025.
The court barred members of the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee, NWC, from parading themselves as national officers of the PDP.
In a ruling on Friday, Uche Agomoh, the presiding judge, also ruled that the Caretaker Committee led by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu is the only recognised NWC of the PDP, pending the conduct of a valid National Convention.
The judge held that PDP cannot disobey court orders and still approach the court to seek judicial approval for actions taken against the orders
