RismadarVoice Reporters, April 30, 2026
The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened following a split judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria that upheld the nullification of the party’s Ibadan convention.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the “Uncompromised PDP,” Comrade Ini Ememobong, described the ruling as a “dangerous bend” for the party, warning that the situation could have serious implications not only for the PDP but also for Nigeria’s multi-party democratic system.
He expressed confidence that the existing organs of the party would take the necessary steps to stabilise the situation and restore clear leadership going forward.
The reaction follows the Supreme Court’s decision delivered on Thursday by a five-man panel presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba, in a 3–2 split ruling that affirmed earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court which nullified the Ibadan convention.
In the majority judgment, Justices Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, Stephen Adah, and Mohammed Garba held that the appellants acted in violation of a subsisting Federal High Court judgment and were therefore in contempt of court. The court ruled that parties in contempt cannot benefit from the discretion of the apex court, leading to the dismissal of the appeal.
However, the minority judgment delivered by Justices Haruna Tsammani and Abubakar Umar held that the dispute was an internal affair of the PDP and therefore non-justiciable. They argued that the matter did not involve any federal government agency and should not have been determined by the courts.
The dissenting justices also faulted the majority decision for raising issues suo motu without allowing parties to address them, stating that this was contrary to established judicial practice.
The judgment also upheld the suspension of several party figures, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Ajibade and Anyanwu, among others, effectively leaving the PDP without a clearly defined national leadership structure.
According to him, the ruling is expected to trigger further consultations and political manoeuvring within the party as stakeholders consider the next steps in resolving the escalating leadership dispute.
