Makinde-backed PDP faction heads to Supreme Court, moves to stop Wike’s planned convention – THISAGE

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) protracted internal crisis has taken a dramatic turn, as failed attempts at reconciliation between party leaders have pushed rival factions into a climactic legal clash in Nigeria’s Supreme Court.

The latest escalation follows the failure of high-level peace talks involving key stakeholders, prompting a faction aligned with Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, and led by its national president, Tanimu Turaki, to formally challenge the March 9, 2026 ruling of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal, which quashed the party’s national convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.

Court documents show that the PDP together with the Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC), filed an appeal and an accompanying motion calling for a stay of the execution of the appeal court ruling, warning that its execution would significantly disrupt the party’s leadership structure and render the pending appeal futile.

The appellants are also seeking far-reaching injunctive relief, including an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing or implementing the ruling, particularly in relation to the contested convention and the party’s internal leadership arrangements.

In a further escalation of the power struggle, the Makinde-Turaki bloc is asking the Supreme Court to stop a rival faction believed to be aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, from proceeding with a national convention scheduled for March 29 and 30, 2026 in Abuja.

The dispute has its roots in the dispute over the conduct of the PDP congresses and the controversial Ibadan convention of 15 and 16 November 2025, which was annulled following an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court delivered on 31 October 2025 and later upheld by the Court of Appeal.

The court of appeal found that the PDP had failed to comply with statutory requirements, including proper notification to INEC and holding valid conferences in several states, thus justifying judicial intervention.

He also rejected the party’s position that the issue was purely internal, ruling instead that it was about respect for electoral law and democratic guarantees.

However, in its papers filed before the Supreme Court, the PDP insists that the lower courts erred in assuming jurisdiction, arguing that the issues in dispute are fundamentally internal party affairs relating to leadership, congresses and congressional processes.

The legal battle has involved several party stakeholders as respondents, including Austine Nwachukwu, Amah Abraham Nnanna and Turnah Alabh George, as well as senior national officials 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 has 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 a 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.

However, some party leaders are said to maintain a two-track approach, keeping channels of dialogue open while pursuing legal remedies.

Documents filed before the Supreme Court indicate that the appeal report has already been forwarded as of March 26, 2026, underlining the urgency of the matter.

The appellants argue that unless the Court of Appeal intervenes quickly, actions taken in line with the Court of Appeal’s ruling could create irreversible consequences, particularly with regards to leadership recognition and the party’s relationship with INEC.