A dramatic legal showdown within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ended in a resounding victory for Sule Lamido, as the Supreme Court of Nigeria dismissed an appeal filed by a faction loyal to Seyi Makinde.
The apex court’s ruling effectively upholds earlier judgments that barred the PDP from proceeding with its planned national convention in Ibadan without accommodating Lamido in the race for the party’s national chairmanship.
The legal battle, which has deepened cracks within the Peoples Democratic Party, began after the Makinde-backed Turaki faction challenged a decision of the Federal High Court of Nigeria. That court had ruled that excluding Lamido from the process was unlawful.
In a prior twist, the Court of Appeal Nigeria had ordered the immediate suspension of the convention, insisting that Lamido must be given the opportunity to purchase the party’s chairmanship nomination form.
With the Supreme Court now shutting the door on further appeals, the PDP finds itself at a critical crossroads, as the judgment reinforces Lamido’s right to participate and throws the convention plans into uncertainty.
Political observers say the verdict is a major blow to Governor Makinde’s camp and could reshape the power dynamics within the opposition party ahead of its much-anticipated convention.
As tensions simmer, party stakeholders are expected to reconvene and chart a new path forward—one that must now reckon with the court-backed inclusion of Sule Lamido.
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