Nigeria’s political stakes rose sharply on Wednesday as the Supreme Court of Nigeria reserved judgment in two crucial appeals filed by the Makinde-backed Turaki faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its disputed national convention.
The five-member panel, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, said a date for the ruling would be communicated to counsel after both sides adopted their final briefs and urged the court to decide in their favour.
At the heart of the legal battle is the controversial Ibadan convention held in November last year, which lower courts had voided, deepening internal divisions within the PDP.
One of the appeals challenges a ruling that barred the party from proceeding with the convention without accommodating former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido. Another contests the decision restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring the exercise until certain conditions were met.
Filed by the PDP alongside its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), the appeals seek to overturn Court of Appeal judgments that upheld earlier Federal High Court decisions against the party.
The outcome of the case is expected to be pivotal, with far-reaching implications for the PDP’s internal leadership structure and its readiness for future electoral contests.
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