Nigeria’s Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed a lower court ruling restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the 2025 national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing violations of constitutional and electoral procedures.
Delivering judgment, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam ruled that the party failed to comply with statutory requirements governing political conventions, thereby validating the earlier decision of the Federal High Court which issued the restraining order on October 31, 2025.
The contested PDP convention was held between November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State, where new national officers were expected to emerge.
Justice Onyemenam said the party violated key provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and the Electoral Act 2022, particularly by failing to properly notify INEC of the convention.
Read Also: PDP Hails Ibadan Convention Court
Among the major findings, the appellate court held that:
No valid notice of the convention was served on INEC as required by law.
Mandatory party congresses were not conducted in more than 14 states before the convention.
Party correspondence regarding the convention was signed only by the National Chairman without the National Secretary, rendering such notices invalid.
“The non-compliance with the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022, and party constitution and guidelines are at the heart of democratic governance and must be strictly enforced in the interest of democracy,” Justice Onyemenam stated.
The appellate court also clarified that the case brought by aggrieved party members was not an internal party matter but an attempt to compel INEC to carry out its statutory oversight responsibilities concerning political party conventions.
The original restraining order was issued by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, who held that the PDP failed to issue the mandatory 21-day notice required for meetings and congresses to allow INEC to monitor the process.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the party’s failure to comply with legal requirements placed the convention “in jeopardy,” and ordered that INEC must not receive, publish or recognise the outcome of the gathering until the law is followed.
